GIFT  OF 
SEELEY  W.  MUDD 

and 

GEORGE  I.  COCHRAN     MEYER  ELSASSER 
DR.  JOHN  R.  HAYNES   WILLIAM  L.  HONNOLD 
JAMES  R.  MARTIN        MRS.  JOSEPH  F.  SARTORI 

to  the 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
SOUTHERN  BRANCH 


JOHN  FISKE 


l^^^^v^^gjj 

j-1— -r  ^^-.'T^'ffS&b&ki 


THE    FAIR   GOD 

FROM     THE     SPANISH    OF 
FERNANDO    DE    ALVA 


BosTon/iai>  nfim  wRKtrnpcccxcix 
hton  minnun/jr 
Rjveftsioe  pnass 


S9729 


COPYRIGHT,    1873,    BY  JAMES   R.   OSGOOD  AND  CO. 

COPYRIGHT,  1898,  BY  HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  AND  CO. 

ALL   RIGHTS    RESERVED 


- 

- 


a 


TI6 


PUBLISHERS'    NOTE 

|ENERAL  WALLACE  explains  in 
the  note  which  has  always  accompa- 
nied this  tale  that  he  assumed  the 
guise  of  a  translator  of  a  fictitious 
narrative  by  an  actual  historical  char- 
acter, Fernando  de  Alva.  It  is  but 
fair  to  the  designer  of  the  spirited 
illustrations  which  accompany  this 
edition  to  state  that  his  imagination 
has  been  aided  by  material  gathered 
with  great  diligence  in  the  country 
where  the  scenes  of  "The  Fair  God  " 
are  laid,  as  well  as  drawn  from  col- 
lections in  scientific  museums.  Mr. 
Pape  examined  the  treasures  in  the 
Peabody  Museum  of  American  Ar- 
chaeology in  Cambridge,  the  Metro- 
politan Museum,  the  New  York  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History,  the  Museum  of  the  City 
of  Mexico,  as  well  as  many  private  collections. 
He  had  recourse  to  the  publications  and  records 
relating  to  Mexico  and  Central  America  to  be 


vi  PUBLISHERS'  NOTE 

found  in  public  and  private  libraries,  and  he  trav- 
eled widely  in  those  countries.  He  covered  prac- 
tically the  same  ground  as  that  gone  over  by 
Cortes,  and  visited  almost  all  the  ruins  of  ancient 
civilization  in  Mexico,  making  studies  and  sketches 
and  taking  a  very  large  number  of  photographs. 
He  had  the  advantage  of  using  native  Mexican 
Indians  for  models,  and  of  becoming  thoroughly 
familiarized  with  the  aspects  of  the  country. 

In  collecting  and  using  this  material,  Mr.  Pape 
set  himself  the  further  task  of  such  researches 
in  the  ancient  civilization  as  should  make  his 
designs  truthful  representations  of  the  arts,  the 
implements,  and  the  manners  and  customs  of  the 
Aztecs.  In  the  text  decorations  he  has  shown 
examples  of  the  art  of  the  various  tribes  of  Mex- 
ico and  Central  America  who  inhabited  those 
countries  centuries  before  the  Aztecs  became 
the  rulers  of  ancient  Anahuac. 

These  facts  are  stated  for  the  assurance  of  the 
reader,  who  will  not  need  to  be  told  of  the  picto- 
rial skill  which  has  gone  to  the  making  of  the 
designs,  but  who  may  be  glad  to  know  that  he  is  in 
the  hands  of  a  conscientious  student  of  his  subject, 
drawing  his  inspiration  not  only  from  the  book  he 
illustrates,  but,  like  the  author  of  the  book,  from 
the  country  and  people  imaginatively  reproduced. 

BOSTON,  August  12,  1898. 


AUTHOR'S   NOTE 

• 

PERSONAL  experience,  though  ever 

so  plainly  told,  is,  generally  speaking, 
more  attractive  to  listeners  and  readers 
than  fiction.  A  circumstance  from 
the  tongue  or  pen  of  one  to  whom  it 
actually  happened,  or  who  was  its 
hero  or  victim,  or  even  its  spectator, 
is  always  more  interesting  than  if  given 
second-hand.  If  the  makers  of  history, 
contradistinguished  from  its  writers,  could 
teach  it  to  us  directly,  one  telling  would 
suffice  to  secure  our  lasting  remembrance. 
The  reason  is,  that  the  narrative  so  pro- 
ceeding derives  a  personality  and  reality  not 
otherwise  attainable,  which  assist  in  making  way 
to  our  imagination  and  the  sources  of  our  sym- 
pathy. 

With  this  theory  or  bit  of  philosophy  in  mind, 
when  the  annexed  book  was  resolved  upon,  I 
judged  best  to  assume  the  character  of  a  trans- 
lator, which  would  enable  me  to  write  in  the  style 
and  spirit  of  one  who  not  merely  lived  at  the  time 


x  AUTHOR'S  NOTE 

of  the  occurrences  woven  in  the  text,  but  was 
acquainted  with  many  of  the  historical  personages 
who  figure  therein,  and  was  a  native  of  the  beau- 
tiful valley  in  which  the  story  is  located.  Think- 
ing to  make  the  descriptions  yet  more  real,  and 
therefore  more  impressive,  I  took  the  liberty  of 
attributing  the  composition  to  a  literator  who, 
whatever  may  be  thought  of  his  works,  was  not 
himself  a  fiction.  Without  meaning  to  insinuate 
that  THE  FAIR  GOD  would  have  been  the  worse 
for  creation  by  Don  Fernando  de  Alva,  the  Tez- 
cucan,  I  wish  merely  to  say  that  it  is  not  a  trans- 
lation. Having  been  so  written,  however,  now 
that  publication  is  at  hand,  change  is  impossible ; 
hence,  nothing  is  omitted, — title-page,  introduc- 
tory, and  conclusion  are  given  to  the  reader 
exactly  as  they  were  brought  to  the  publisher 
by  the  author. 

L.  W. 
BOSTON,  MASS.,  August  8,  1873. 


BOOK   ONE 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  OUR  MOTHER  HAS  A  FORTUNE  WAITING  US  YONDER  3 

ii.  QUETZAL',  THE  FAIR  GOD 11 

III.  A   CHALLENGE          .......  19 

IV.  TENOCHTITLAN   AT   NIGHT 24 

V.  THE  CHILD   OF  THE  TEMPLE          ....  29 

vi.  THE  cu  OF  QUETZAL',  AND  MUALOX,  THE  PABA  .  36 

VII.  THE  PROPHECY  ON   THE   WALI 43 

VIII.  A   BUSINESS   MAN    IN   TENOCHTITLAN        •           •           •  55 

IX.  THE  QUESTIONER  OF  THE   MORNING    ...  65 

X.  GOING  TO  THE   COMBAT JO 

XI.  THE  COMBAT            .......  82 

XII.  MUALOX,   AND   HIS   WORLD 95 

XIII.  THE   SEARCH   FOR  QUETZAL*            ....  103 


BOOK   TWO 


I.  WHO  ARE  THE   STRANGERS?     . 

II.  A  TEZCUCAN   LOVER        . 

III.  THE   BANISHMENT   OF  GUATAMOZIN 

IV.  GUA1AMOZIN    AT   HOME 

V.  NIGHT  AT  THE  CHALCAN'S        . 

VI.  THE  CHINAMPA      .... 

VII.  COURT   GOSSIP    .  .          .  . 

VIII.  GUATAMOZIN   AND   MUALOX 

IX.  A    KING'S    BANQUET   .... 

X.  THE   'TZIN'S   LOVE 

XI.  THE  CHANT 


117 
125 
'34 
MS 
157 
168 
I76 
182 
I89 
I97 
209 


CONTENTS 
BOOK   THREE 


I.    THE  FIRST  COMBAT 
II.    THE  SECOND  COMBAT 

III.  THE  PORTRAIT       .. 

IV.  THE  TRIAL 


225 
234 
248 

253 


BOOK   FOUR 

I.  -THE  KING  GIVES  A  TRUST  TO   HUALPA 
II.    THE   KING  AND   THE    'TZIN 

III.  LOVE  ON  THE   LAKE       .... 

IV.  THE   KING   DEMANDS    A   SIGN    OF   MUALOX 
V.    THE    MASSACRE    IN    CHOLULA 

VI.    THE  CONQUEROR   WILL  COME 
VII.    MONTEZUMA  GOES  TO   MEET  CORTES  . 
VIII.    THE  ENTRY 


267 
276 
288 
297 
306 
319 

331 
339 


QUETZAL  AND   SUNFLOWER     ....      Cover  desigll 
"  The  Quetzal  (Kwetsal)  [native  name].     The  Paradise 
Trogan,  the  most  magnificent  of  the  Trogans,  of  a  golden 
green,  long  airy  tail  feathers  and  spray-like  wings. 

"  The  bird  is  about  the  size  of  a  pigeon,  but  the  long  feath- 
ers project  beyond  the  tail  for  two  feet  or  more,  forming  a 
graceful  spray-like  train." 

It  was  the  sacred  bird  of  the  ancient  tribes  of  Anahuac,  wor- 
shiped by  them  as  the  Scarabaeus  was  by  the  Egyptians.  The 
supreme  god  of  the  Aztecs  was  also  called  Quetzal'.  page 

HALF-TITLE i 

Design  after  an  ancient  Mexican  temple  door  decoration. 
"DID  I  NOT  TELL  YOU  so,  o  TULA?"  (p.  251)  Frontispiece 

TITLE Hi 

The  initial  is  a  hieroglyph  ;  the  sweeping  feathers  were  or- 
naments of  the  Aztecs.  The  symbolic  design  represents  the 
Aztec  eagle,  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  the  clouds  and  lightning, 
all  of  which  played  an  important  part  in  the  religious  beliefs 
of  the  Aztec  Mexicans. 

HEADPIECE      .  .          . V 

Design  taken  from  a  spinning-whirl  of  Tezcuco. 

INITIAL V 

Design  after  some  Aztec  gold  ornaments. 


xiv  ILLUSTRATIONS 

HALF-TITLE vii 

Hieroglyphic  signs  and  figure,  combined  in  one  design,  after 
an  ancient  Mexican  mural  decoration. 

INITIAL HE 

Design  after  a  gold  crown  found  in  southern  Mexico,  — 
suggesting  enamel. 

TAILPIECE , _          .  .  .        X 

Design  taken  from  the  upper  portion  of  a  carved  wooden 
altar  panel  in  the  Temple  of  the  Sun  at  Tikal.  This  greatly 
resembles  the  winged  disk  and  Scarabaus  (horns)  carved  over 
the  doors  of  the  temples  of  Upper  Egypt. 

HEADPIECE .  .  .  .       li 

Feather  ornament.    From  a  Toltec  temple. 
TAILPIECE .      xii 

Design  from  an  ancient  Mexican  bas-relief,  cut  upon  a  rough 
stone,  representing  a  shield  and  banner  of  the  chieftain.  A 
bird's  head  (Quetzal)  and  another  hieroglyphic  sign  are  above 
the  shield,  and  five  javelins  support  the  whole. 

HEADPIECE xiii 

Eagle  and  serpent  combined.     From  the  ruins  of  Oaxaca. 

TAILPIECE xxii 

An  Aztec  decorative  design. 

HALF-TITLE XXlii 

An  ancient  Mexican  mural  decoration. 

INITIAL XXV 

Bas-relief  from  Palenque,  —  a  very  fine  example  of  barbaric 
sculpture.  In  the  National  Mexican  Museum. 

TAILPIECE         .  .  .         ., xxviii 

Hieroglyphs  from  an  ancient  Mexican  temple. 

HALF-TITLE   (THE   FAIR   GOD) XXIX 

This  design  is  based  on  several  of  the  finest  examples  of 
Mexican  sculpture.  The  figure  or  central  portion  of  the  de- 
sign is  after  a  bas-relief  from  the  Palenque  ruins.  (An  adap- 
tion of  this  design  is  embossed  on  the  leather  cover  of  the 
Limited  edition  of  this  book.) 

HALF-TITLE  (BOOK   ONE) I 

Aztec  design  found  on  a  spinning-whirl. 

HEADPIECE 3 

"  Far  across  the  plain  he  caught  a  view  of  the  fresh  waters 
of  Lake  Chalco." 


ILLUSTRATIONS  XV 

INITIAI 3 

Ancient  Mexican  hieroglyph. 

NOT  WITHOUT  A  CERTAIN  PICTURESQUENESS  AS  IT  CROSSED 
THE  STREAM  (Photogravure]      .        .         .        .         .         .8 

TAILPIECE 10 

An  ocelot's  head  carved  in  rough  stone.    From  Yucatan. 

HEADPIECE       .  . ^.  .II 

Branch  from  the  mango-tree. 

INITIAL  .  .  .  .   - II 

An  Alcohuan  deity.  Figure  taken  from  the  blade  of  a  por- 
phyry battle-axe. 

TAILPIECE l8 

Ancient  Mexican  bow  and  arrow. 

HEADPIECE      .  ,-.'.-• 19 

Headdress  and  staff  of  an  Aztec  chieftain. 
INITIAL   .  .  .          .          .          .  .          .          .          .     19 

An  owl  (hieroglyph)  and  Mexican  onyx. 

TAILPIECE 23 

Jasper  necklace  from  the  Valley  of  Mexico. 

HEADPIECE 24 

War  clubs  and  lance,  used  in  various  parts  of  ancient  Mex- 
ico. 

INITIAL 24 

The  Mexican  coat  of  arms.  Aztec  decoration.  Eagle  taken 
from  a  monument.  "  In  the  southwestern  border  of  Tezcuco 
one  morning  in  1300  a  wandering  tribe  of  Aztecs  saw  an  eagle 
perched  with  outspread  wings  upon  a  cactus,  and  holding  a 
serpent  in  its  talons/' 

TAILPIECE 28 

Terra-cotta  urn  used  for  sacred  fires  in  the  temples  of  an- 
cient Mexico. 

HEADPIECE 29 

View  of  an  Aztec  palace  and  garden.  This  drawing  is  based 
on  ancient  ruins. 

INITIAL 29 

Design  after  an  Aztec  textile  fabric,  consisting  of  a  border 
of  small  figures  with  head  and  fringe  attached. 
THE  CHILD  OF  THE  TEMPLE  (Photogravure]        .         .         -34 


xvi  ILLUSTRATIONS 

TAILPIECE .  •  -35 

Stone  mask  from  Copan.     Now  in  British  Museum. 

HEADPIECE •  •  -36 

"  Mualox  the  paba." 

INITIAL 36 

A  terra-cotta  mask  with  open  mouth  and  large  white  col- 
lar and  an  Aztec  border,  taken  from  a  sculptural  ornament  sur- 
rounding the  central  design. 

A    CLANG   OF   SANDALED   FEET    (Photogravure)      .           .           .40 
TAILPIECE 42 

Portrait  head  of  an  Aztec  king  in  very  hard  polished  stone. 
The  lower  portion  is  missing. 

HEADPIECE 43 

Bas-relief.    Signs  for  days  of  the  month.     Ancient  Mexico. 

INITIAL 43 

The  Aztec  war-god,  Huitzilopuchtli.     Upon  his  head  is  a 
crown  composed  chiefly  of  feathers,  and  in  one  hand  the  ma- 
quahuitl ;  in  the  other,  feather  ornament,  quiver,  and  shield. 
"  BEHOLD  !  "  SAID  MUALOX  (Photogravure)       .        .        -52 

TAILPIECE 54 

An  eagle  cut  in  low  relief  upon  a  rough  stone.  Found  in 
Mexico. 

HEADPIECE 55 

Terra-cotta  plates  from  the  Valley  of  Mexico. 

INITIAL 55 

Aztec  decorative  border  with  small  rosettes. 
"  I   CAN   FIND  YOU   ENOUGH  SUCH  HERE  "  (Photogravure}   .      62 

TAILPIECE 64 

Terra-cotta  vase  of  fine  workmanship.  Now  in  the  National 
Mexican  Museum. 

HEADPIECE 65 

Canal  scene. 
INITIAL  .  65 

Design  after  an  Aztec  textile  fabric. 
TAILPIECE ' 69 

Hieroglyphics  of  the  symbol  of  fire  —  Xochicalco. 
HEADPIECE 70 

Aztec  lance  with  feather  ornamentation. 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xvn 

INITIAL 7O 

Hieroglyphic  ornament.     From  a  Toltec  temple. 
THE  TAMBOUR    IN    THE    TEMPLE    SOUNDED    THE    SIGNAL 
(Photogravure) 70 

TAILPIECE 8l 

Ancient  Mexican  quiver. 
HEADPIECE 82 

The  maquahuitl,  the  deadliest  weapon  of  ancient  Mexico. 
INITIAL .82 

Hieroglyph  cut  in  stone,  consisting  of  arrows  and  feather 
ornament. 
THE    FORTUNATE    HERO,    STANDING    SO    CALMLY    BEFORE 

THEM  (Photogravure) 94 

HEADPIECE ."..-.          .          •     95 

Mexican  wild  flower. 
INITIAL .          -95 

Hieroglyphic  design  suggested  by  an  ancient  Mexican  bas- 
relief. 

HIS  FACE  WAS  FULL  OF   HOLY  AFFECTION    (Photogravure)    IOO 
TAILPIECE IO2 

Stone  mask  from  Copan.      Now  in  British  Museum.     A 
full-face  view  of  this  mask  is  shown  on  page  35. 
HEADPIECE -.       .  .  .    IO3 

Tropical  flowers,  from  neighborhood  of  Orizaba. 
INITIAI 103 

Design  suggested  by  a  hieroglyphic  sign  on  one  of  the  large 
monoliths  found  at  Copan. 
HALF-TITLE   (BOOK  TWO) 115 

Decorative  flower  and  leaves  from  an  ancient  Mexican  vase. 
HEADPIECE 117 

Cortes's  fleet. 
INITIAL '    .  .  .  -117 

A  Spanish  initial  with  an  Aztec  scroll  design  as  central  or- 
nament. 
TAILPIECE .  .  .  .124 

Colored  terra-cotta  vase  in  National  Mexican  Museum. 
HEADPIECE 125 

"  Half  nude  were  they,  and  flashing  with  ornaments  and 


xviii  ILLUSTRATIONS 

aerial  with  gauzes  and  flying  ribbons,  and  on  their  heads  were 
flowers." 

INITIAL  .         .         .         .  • 125 

Design  suggested  by  a  Toltec  sculptural  ornament  repre- 
senting wings  and  feathers  of  a  bird. 

HEADPIECE .  .  .134 

Air-plant  from  Monte  Alban,  near  Oaxaca. 

INITIAL .          .          .  .134 

Design  suggested  by  a  niche  in  the  palace  at  Palenque,  with 
a  bas-relief  ornament  above  representing  a  bird  with  neck  and 
head  of  the  feathered  serpent. 

TAILPIECE 144 

Polychrome  vase  from  the  Valley  of  Mexico. 

HEADPIECE 145 

Guatamozin  and  Hualpa. 

INITIAL 145 

A  scroll  design  suggested  by  an  Aztec  terra-cotta  mould  in 
the  collection  of  the  Mexican  Museum  of  Antiquities. 
DREW  THE  GRACEFUL  WEAPON   ARM   LENGTH  BACKWARD 
{Photogravure)    .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         -154 

TAILPIECE 156 

Aztec  maquahuitl  and  ancient  stone  sling. 

HEADPIECE 157 

Sprays  from  the  coffee  plant. 

INITIAL 157 

Composition  after  a  Palenque  bas-relief  representing  a  par- 
rot ;  the  same  placed  here  in  three  different  positions. 

TAILPIECE 167 

Vase  from  Huexotla.    Collection  of  Dr.  Antonio  Penafiel 
HEADPIECE      ...  1 68 

Mexican  water-grass  and  flowers. 
INITIAL  .  .          .     - 168 

Design  after  a  border  of  long-beaked  birds  painted  on  an 
Aztec  jug. 

IN  A  HAMMOCK  THAT  SWUNG  TO  AND  FRO     (Photogravure)    170 
TAILPIECE 175 

Aztec  canoe  paddles. 
HEADPIECE !j6 

Mexican  belt  and  pouches. 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xix 

INITIAL 176 

Border  composed  after  a  beautiful  gold  filigree  ornament  with 
enameled  rosettes  in  corners.  In  National  Mexican  Museum. 

TAILPIECE l8l 

Vase  from  the  ruins  of  Teotihuacan. 

HEADPIECE 182 

View  from  the  royal  palace,  old  Cu  in  middle  distance. 

INITIAL 182 

Hieroglyphs  from  a  large  monolith  found  at  Copan. 

HEADPIECE 189 

Berries. 

INITIAL 189 

Design  from  a  very  fine  Toltec  vase  with  ornamentation 
in  the  shape  of  a  butterfly.  The  vase  is  in  the  National  Mex- 
ican Museum. 

WHOSE    BEAUTY  WAS   WORTHY    THE    TRIBUTE   (Photogra- 
vure}    194 

HEADPIECE       .  ...          .  .          .          .  .  .  .    197 

Yeteve. 

INITIAL 197 

Toltec  decorative  design,  with  lotus  flower  and  bud.  This 
greatly  resembles  the  art  of  the  ancient  Egyptians. 

TAILPIECE        .  . 208 

Aztec  terra-cotta  flute  with  small  shell  rattles  attached. 

HEADPIECE 2O9 

Tropical  vine,  from  Mitla. 
INITIAL  .............  209 

Aztec  terra-cotta  flute  of  serpentine  design.     In  the  New 
York  Metropolitan  Museum  Collection  of  Instruments. 
THE  MONARCH'S  FACE  CHANGED  VISIBLY    (Photogravure}  218 

HALF-TITLE  (BOOK  THREE) 223 

Ancient  Mexican  decorative  rosette. 

HEADPIECE .  .  .  .    225 

Aztec  arms. 
INITIAL 225 

Bronze  battle-axe  with  hieroglyphs  and  a  mosaic  suggesting 
a  Greek  pattern. 
IZTLIL'  STAGGERED  (Photogravure} 232 


XX  ILLUSTRATIONS 

HEADPIECE 234 

Palm-tree. 
INITIAL • 234 

Design  composed  of  arrows  and  javelin  and  flint  arrow 
heads. 

HEADPIECE 248 

Aztec  manuscripts. 

INITIAL .  .  -248 

Greek  pattern  with  disks  inserted,  met  with  in  the  borders 
sculptured  on  the  temples  and  palaces  of  ancient  Mexican 
cities. 

TAILPIECE 252 

Bas-relief  from  Xochicalco. 

HEADPIECE 253 

Arrow  and  atlatls. 

INITIAL 253 

Design  suggested  by  the  decorative  painting  of  a  beautiful 
example  of  polychrome  pottery  made  by  the  Teotihuacans, 
very  closely  resembling  the  lotus  designs  on  ancient  Egyp- 
tian vases. 

TAILPIECE 263 

Ancient  Mexican  gold  bracelet. 

HALF-TITLE  (BOOK   FOUR) 265 

Design  taken  from  a  spinning-whirl  from  Huexotla. 

HEADPIECE 267 

View  of  lake  at  Ixtapalapa. 

INITIAL 267 

Head  with  the  feathered  tiger-head  often  worn  by  the  mil- 
itary chiefs  and  guards. 

TAILPIECE 275 

Aztec  arrows  and  unstrung  bow. 

HEADPIECE ' 276 

Tropical  plant  from  the  neighborhood  of  Jalapa. 

INITIAI 276 

One  of  two  bas-reliefs  forming  supports  to  the  altar  of  a 

Toltec  temple,  representing  a  deity  magnificently  arrayed. 

He  is   supposed  to   personify   the  god  of  rain,   of  spring, 

verdure,  and  water. 

EACH   MET  THE   OTHER'S   GAZE   (Photogravure)    .          .  .   278 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xxi 

TAILPIECE 287 

Aztec  knives,  with  mosaic  and  jeweled  handles  of  fine  work- 
manship. The  one  with  crouching  figure  belongs  to  the 
Christy  collection. 

HEADPIECE 288 

Aztec  shield  and  lance. 

INITIAL 288 

Tile-shaped  bas-reliefs   representing  turtles,  with  a  back- 
ground suggesting  water. 
TAILPIECE .296 

Vase  from  Valley  of  Mexico.  In  National  Mexican  Museum. 
HEADPIECE      .  . 297 

Bust  of  an  ancient  deity  cut  in  soft  white  stone. 
INITIAL 297 

Border  found  on  Aztec  terra-cotta  ornaments  and  vases. 
TAILPIECE 305 

Statue  of  Xochiquetzal  from  Iztapan.     Collection  of  Dr. 
Antonio  Penafiel. 
HEADPIECE      .  306 

Aztec  water-god. 
INITIAL 306 

An  ancient  Mexican  ornament  and  conventionalized  lotus. 

HEADPIECE 319 

Aztec  water-carrier. 

INITIAL 319 

Design  after  an  ancient  Mexican  terra-cotta.    In  the  Metro- 
politan Museum,  New  York. 
CRAFTSMEN  ENTERTAINED  AND  FRIGHTENED  EACH  OTHER 

WITH  STORIES  (Photogravure) 320 

FROM     THE    AZOTEAS    HE     SAW     THEM     ENTER  THE  CITY 

(Photogravure] .         .         .  326 

TAILPIECE         .          .         ..   • 330 

Ancient  Mexican  vases  from  various  sections  of  the  country. 

HEADPIECE 331 

Aztec  flute  and  belt. 

INITIAL 331 

Ancient  Mexican  ornamental  scroll.  The  whole  design  is 
left  entirely  as  in  the  original. 


xxii  ILLUSTRATIONS 

TULA  DREW  THE  CURTAIN   QUICKLY   (Photogravure)  .           .   336 
AT  A  PALACE  NEAR   THE    EDGE    OF    THE     CITY    THE     ES- 
CORT HALTED  (Photogravure) 338 

HEADPIECE 339 

Spanish  armor,  sword,  and  battle-axes. 

INITIAL 339 

In  the  style  used  during  the  sixteenth  century. 

"  OUT  OF  THE  WAY,  DOG  !  "   SHOUTED   SANDOVAL        (P?W- 
togravure)   ..........  342 

TAILPIECE 352 

Design  from  a  decoration  over  the  entrance  to  an  ancient 
Mexican  temple. 


INTRODUCTORY 

•ERNANDO  DE  ALVA,1  a  noble 
Tezcucan,  flourished,  we  are  told, 
in  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth 
century.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
learning,  familiar  with  the  Mexican 
and  Spanish  languages,  and  the  hieroglyphics  of 
Anahuac.  Ambitious  to  rescue  his  race  from 
oblivion,  and  inspired  by  love  of  learning,  he  col- 
lected a  library,  availed  himself  of  his  knowledge 
of  picture-writing,  became  master  of  the  songs 
and  traditions,  and,  in  the  Castilian  language, 
composed  books  of  merit. 

It  was  scarcely  possible  that  his  labors  should 
escape  the  researches  of  Mr.  Prescott,  who,  with 
such  incomparable  genius,  has  given  the  world  a 
history  of  the  Conquest  of  Mexico.  From  him 
we  have  a  criticism  upon  the  labors  of  the  learned 
Fernando,  from  which  the  following  paragraph  is 
extracted. 

"  Iztlilzochitl's  writings  have  many  of  the  de- 
fects belonging  to  his  age.  He  often  crowds  the 

1  Fernando  De  Alva  Iztlilzochitl. 


xxvi  INTRODUCTORY 

page  with  incidents  of  a  trivial  and  sometimes 
improbable  character.  The  improbability  in- 
creases with  the  distance  of  the  period ;  for  dis- 
tance, which  diminishes  objects  to  the  natural 
eye,  exaggerates  them  to  the  mental.  His  chro- 
nology, as  I  have  more  than  once  noticed,  is 
inextricably  entangled.  He  has  often  lent  a  too 
willing  ear  to  traditions  and  reports  which  would 
startle  the  more  skeptical  criticism  of  the  present 
time.  Yet  there  is  an  appearance  of  good  faith 
and  simplicity  in  his  writings,  which  may  convince 
the  reader  that,  when  he  errs,  it  is  from  no  worse 
cause  than  the  national  partiality.  And  surely 
such  partiality  is  excusable  in  the  descendant  of 
a  proud  line,  shorn  of  its  ancient  splendors,  which 
it  was  soothing  to  his  own  feelings  to  revive 
again  —  though  with  something  more  than  their 
legitimate  lustre  —  on  the  canvas  of  history.  It 
should  also  be  considered  that,  if  his  narrative 
is  sometimes  startling,  his  researches  penetrate 
into  the  mysterious  depths  of  antiquity,  where 
light  and  darkness  meet  and  melt  into  each  other  ; 
and  where  everything  is  still  further  liable  to  dis- 
tortion, as  seen  through  the  misty  medium  of 
hieroglyphics." 

Besides  his  "  Relaciones  "  and  "  Historia  Chiche- 
meca,"  De  Alva  composed  works  of  a  lighter 
nature,  though  equally  based  upon  history.  Some 


INTRODUCTORY  xxvn 

were  lost ;  others  fell  into  the  hands  of  persons 
ignorant  of  their  value ;  a  few  only  were  rescued 
and  given  to  the  press.  For  a  considerable  period 
he  served  as  interpreter  to  the  Spanish  Viceroy. 
His  duties  as  such  were  trifling ;  he  had  ample 
time  for  literary  pursuits ;  his  enthusiasm  as  a 
scholar  permitted  him  no  relaxation  or  idleness. 
Thus  favored,  it  is  believed  he  composed  the 
books  now  for  the  first  time  given  to  the  world. 

The  MSS.  were  found  among  a  heap  of  old 
dispatches  from  the  Viceroy  Mendoza  to  the 
Emperor.  It  is  quite  probable  that  they  became 
mixed  with  the  State  papers  through  accident ; 
if,  however,  they  were  purposely  addressed  to 
His  Majesty,  it  must  have  been  to  give  him  a 
completer  idea  of  the  Aztecan  people  and  their 
civilization,  or  to  lighten  the  burdens  of  royalty 
by  an  amusement  to  which,  it  is  known,  Charles 
V.  was  not  averse.  Besides,  Mendoza,  in  his  dif- 
ficulty with  the  Marquess  of  the  Valley  (Cortes), 
failed  not  to  avail  himself  of  every  means  likely 
to  propitiate  his  cause  with  the  court,  and  espe- 
cially with  the  Royal  Council  of  the  Indies.  It 
is  not  altogether  improbable,  therefore,  that  the 
MSS.  were  forwarded  for  the  entertainment  of 
the  members  of  the  Council  and  the  lordly  per- 
sonages of  the  court,  who  not  only  devoured 
with  avidity,  but,  as  the  wily  Mendoza  well  knew, 


xxviii  INTRODUCTORY 

were  vastly  obliged  for,  everything  relative  to  the 
New  World,  and  particularly  the  dazzling  con- 
quest of  Mexico. 

In  the  translation,  certain  liberties  have  been 
taken,  for  which,  if  wrong  has  been  done,  pardon 
is  besought  both  from  the  public  and  the  shade 
of  the  author.  Thus,  The  Books  in  the  original 
are  unbroken  narratives ;  but,  with  infinite  care 
and  trouble,  they  have  all  been  brought  out  of 
the  confusion,  and  arranged  into  chapters.  So, 
there  were  names,  some  of  which  have  been 
altogether  changed;  while  others,  for  the  sake 
of  euphony,  have  been  abbreviated,  though  with- 
out sacrificing  the  identity  of  the  heroes  who 
wore  them  so  proudly. 

And  thus  beginneth  the  FIRST  BOOK. 


THE 
FAIR  GOD 


BOOK   ONE 


"  OUR  MOTHER  HAS  A  FORTUNE 
WAITING  US  YONDER 

[HE  Spanish  Calendar  is  simpler 
than  the  Aztecan.  In  fact,  Chris- 
tian methods,  of  whatever  nature, 
are  better  than  heathen. 

So,  then,  by  the  Spanish  Cal- 
endar, March,  1519,  had  about  half  spent  itself  in 
the  valley  of  Anahuac,  which  was  as  yet  untrod- 
den by  gold-seeker,  with  cross-hilted  sword  at  his 
side,  and  on  his  lips  a  Catholic  oath.  Near  noon 
of  one  of  its  fairest  days  a  traveler  came  descend- 
ing the  western  slope  of  the  Sierra  de  Ahualco. 
Since  the  dawn  his  path  had  been  amongst  hills 
and  crags ;  at  times  traversing  bald  rocks  that 
towered  to-  where  the  winds  blew  chill,  then 


4  THE   FAIR   GOD 

dipping  into  warm  valleys,  where  were  grass, 
flowers,  and  streamlets,  and  sometimes  forests  of 
cedar  and  fir,  —  labyrinths  in  which  there  reigned 
a  perpetual  twilight. 

Toilsome  as  was  the  way,  the  traveler,  young 
and  strong,  marched  lightly.  His  dress,  of  the 
kind  prevalent  in  his  country,  was  provincial,  and 
with  few  signs  of  rank.  He  had  sandals  of  buf- 
falo-hide, fitted  for  climbing  rocks  and  threading 
pathless  woods;  a  sort  of  white  tunic,  covering 
his  body  from  the  neck  to  the  knees,  leaving  bare 
the  arms  from  the  shoulder ;  maxtlatl  and  til- 
matli —  sash  and  mantle  —  of  cotton,  blue  tinted, 
and  void  of  ornament ;  on  the  wrist  of  his  left 
arm  he  wore  a  substantial  golden  bracelet,  and 
in  both  ears  jeweled  pendants;  while  an  ebony 
band,  encircling  his  head,  kept  his  straight  black 
locks  in  place,  and  permitted  a  snow-white  bird's- 
wing  for  decoration.  There  was  a  shield  on  his 
left  arm,  framed  of  wood,  and  covered  with  pad- 
ded cloth,  and  in  the  left  hand  a  javelin  barbed 
with  'itsli;  at  his  back  swung  a  maquahuitl>  and  a 
quiver  filled  with  arrows  ;  an  unstrung  bow  in  his 
right  hand  completed  his  equipments,  and  served 
him  in  lieu  of  staff.  An  ocelot,  trudging  stealth- 
ily behind  him,  was  his  sole  companion. 

In  the  course  of  his  journey  he  came  to  a  crag 
that  sank  bluffly  down  several  hundred  feet,  com- 
manding a  fine  prospect.  Though  the  air  was 
cold,  he  halted.  Away  to  the  northwest  stretched 
the  beautiful  valley  of  Anahuac,  dotted  with  ham- 
lets and  farmhouses,  and  marked  with  the  silver 


OUR  MOTHER   HAS   A   FORTUNE  5 

tracery  of  streams.  Far  across  the  plain,  he 
caught  a  view  of  the  fresh  waters  of  Lake  Chalco, 
and  beyond  that,  blue  in  the  distance  and  faintly 
relieved  against  the  sky,  the  royal  hill  of  Chapul- 
tepec,  with  its  palaces  and  cypress  forests.  In  all 
the  New  World  there  was  no  scene  comparable 
with  that  he  looked  upon,  —  none  its  rival  for 
beauty,  none  where  the  heavens  seemed  so  per- 
fectly melted  into  earth.  There  were  the  most 
renowned  cities  of  the  Empire;  from  that  plain 
went  the  armies  whose  marches  were  all  triumphs  ; 
in  that  air  hovered  the  gods  awaiting  sacrifices  ; 
into  that  sky  rose  the  smoke  of  the  inextinguish- 
able fires ;  there  shone  the  brightest  suns,  and 
lingered  the  longest  summers  ;  and  yonder  dwelt 
that  king  —  in  youth  a  priest,  then  a  warrior,  now 
the  terror  of  all  nations  —  whose  signet  on  the 
hand  of  a  slave  could  fill  the  land  with  rustling  of 
banners. 

No  traveler,  I  ween,  could  look  unmoved  on 
the  picture ;  ours  sat  down,  and  gazed  with  brim- 
ful eyes  and  a  beating  heart.  For  the  first  time 
he  was  beholding  the  matchless  vale  so  overhung 
with  loveliness  and  full  of  the  monuments  of  a 
strange  civilization.  So  rapt  was  he  that  he  did 
not  observe  the  ocelot  come  and  lay  its  head  in 
his  lap,  like  a  dog  seeking  caresses.  "Come, 
boy !  "  he  said,  at  last  rousing  himself ;  "let  us  on. 
Our  Mother J  has  a  fortune  waiting  us  yonder." 

And  they  resumed  the  journey.    Half  an  hour's 

1  The  goddess  Cioacoatl,  called  "Our  Lady  and  Mother." 
Sahagun,  Hist,  de  Nueva  Esp. 


6  THE   FAIR  GOD 

brisk  walk  brought  them  to  the  foot  of  the  moun- 
tain.    Suddenly  they  came  upon  company. 

It  was  on  the  bank  of  a  considerable  stream, 
which,  pouring  in  noisy  torrent  over  a  rocky  bed, 
appeared  to  rush  with  a  song  forward  into  the 
valley.  A  clump  of  giant  oaks  shaded  a  level 
sward.  Under  them  a  crowd  of  tamanes,1  tawny, 
half-clad,  broad-shouldered  men,  devoured  loaves 
of  cold  maize  bread.  Near  the  roots  of  the  trees 
their  masters  reclined  comfortably  on  petates,  or 
mats,  without  which  an  Aztec  trader's  outfit  was 
incomplete.  Our  traveler  understood  at  a  glance 
the  character  of  the  strangers  ;  so  that,  as  his  road 
led  directly  to  them,  he  went  on  without  hesita- 
tion. As  he  came  near,  some  of  them  sat  up  to 
observe  him. 

"A  warrior  going  to  the  city,"  said  one. 

"Or  rather  a  king's  courier,"  suggested  an- 
other. 

"Is  not  that  an  ocelot  at  his  heels?"  asked  a 
third. 

"That  it  is.     Bring  me  my  javelin  !  " 

"  And  mine !  And  mine !  "  cried  several  of 
them  at  once,  all  springing  to  their  feet. 

By  the  time  the  young  man  came  up,  the  whole 
party  stood  ready  to  give  him  an  armed  welcome. 

"I  am  very  sorry  to  have  disturbed  you,"  he 
said  quietly,  finding  himself  obliged  to  stop. 

"  You  seem  friendly  enough,"  answered  one  of 
the  older  men  ;  "  but  your  comrade  there,  —  what 
of  him  ? " 

1  Carrier  slaves,  or  porters. 


OUR   MOTHER   HAS    A   FORTUNE  7 

The  traveler  smiled.     "  See,  he  is  muzzled." 

The  party  laughed  at  their  own  fears.  The  old 
merchant,  however,  stepped  forward  to  the  young 
stranger. 

"I  confess  you  have  greatly  relieved  me.  I 
feared  the  brute  might  set  on  and  wound  some: 
body.  Come  up,  and  sit  down  with  us." 

The  traveler  was  nowise  disinclined,  being 
tempted  by  the  prospect  of  cheer  from  the  provi- 
sion-baskets lying  around. 

"  Bring  a  mat  for  the  warrior,"  said  the  friendly 
trader.  "  Now  give  him  bread  and  meat." 

From  an  abundance  of  bread,  fowl,  and  fruit 
the  wayfarer  helped  himself.  A  running  conver- 
sation was  meantime  maintained. 

"  My  ocelot  ?  The  story  is  simple ;  for  your 
sakes,  good  friends,  I  wish  it  were  better.  I  killed 
his  mother,  and  took  him  when  a  whelp.  Now 
he  does  me  good  service  hunting.  You  should 
see  him  in  pursuit  of  an  antelope !  " 

"  Then  you  are  not  a  warrior  ?  " 

"  To  be  a  warrior,"  replied  the  hunter  modestly, 
"  is  to  have  been  in  many  battles,  and  taken  many 
captives.  I  have  practiced  arms,  and,  at  times, 
boasted  of  skill,  —  foolishly,  perhaps  ;  yet,  I  con- 
fess, I  never  marched  a  day  under  the  banner  of 
the  great  king." 

"  Ah  !  "  said  the  old  man  quizzically,  "  I  under- 
stand you.  You  have  served  some  free-trading 
company  like  our  own." 

"You  are  shrewd.  My  father  is  a  merchant. 
At  times  he  has  traveled  with  strong  trains,  and 


8  THE   FAIR   GOD 

even  attacked  cities  that  have  refused  him  admis- 
sion to  their  market." 

"Indeed!  He  must  be  of  renown.  In  what 
province  does  he  live,  my  son  ? " 

"  In  Tihuanco." 

"Tepaja!  old  Tepaja,  of  Tihuanco!  Are  you 
son  of  his  ?  "  The  good  man  grasped  the  young 
one's  hand  enthusiastically.  "  I  knew  him  well ; 
many  years  ago  we  were  as  brothers  together ; 
we  traveled  and  traded  through  many  provinces. 
That  was  the  day  of  the  elder  Montezuma,  when 
the  Empire  was  not  as  large  as  now ;  when,  in 
fact,  most  gates  were  closed  against  us,  because 
our  king  was  an  Aztec,  and  we  had  to  storm  a 
town,  then  turn  its  square  into  a  market  for  the 
sale  of  our  wares.  Sometimes  we  marched  an 
army,  each  of  us  carrying  a  thousand  slaves ;  and 
yet  our  tasks  were  not  always  easy.  I  remember 
once,  down  on  the  bank  of  the  Great  River,  we 
were  beaten  back  from  a  walled  town,  and  suc- 
ceeded only  after  a  four  days'  fight.  Ah,  but  we 
made  it  win  !  We  led  three  thousand  slaves  back 
to  Tenochtitlan,  besides  five  hundred  captives,  — 
a  present  for  the  gods." 

So  the  merchant  talked  until  the  hunger  of  his 
new  acquaintance  was  appeased ;  then  he  offered 
a  pipe,  which  was  declined. 

"  I  am  fond  of  a  pipe  after  a  good  meal ;  and 
this  one  has  been  worthy  a  king.  But  now  I  have 
no  leisure  for  the  luxury  ;  the  city  to  which  I  am 
bound  is  too  far  ahead  of  me." 

"  If  it  is  your  first  visit,  you  are  right.    Fail  not 


OUR   MOTHER   HAS   A    FORTUNE  9 

to  be  there  before  the  market  closes.  Such  a 
sight  never  gladdened  your  dreams !  " 

"So  I  have  heard  my  father  say." 

"  Oh,  it  never  was  as  it  will  be  to-night !  The 
roads  for  days  have  been  thronged  with  visitors 
going  up  in  processions." 

"  What  is  the  occasion  ?  " 

"Why,  to-morrow  is  the  celebration  of  Que- 
tzal' !  Certainly,  my  son,  you  have  heard  the 
prophecies  concerning  that  god." 

"  In  rumors  only.  I  believe  he  was  to  return 
to  Anahuac." 

"  Well,  the  story  is  long,  and  you  are  in  a 
hurry.  We  also  are  going  to  the  city,  but  will  halt 
our  slaves  at  Iztapalapan  for  the  night,  and  cross 
the  causeway  before  the  sun  to-morrow.  If  you 
care  to  keep  us  company,  we  will  start  at  once ; 
on  the  way  I  will  tell  you  a  few  things  that  may 
not  be  unacceptable." 

"I  see,"  said  the  hunter  pleasantly,  "I  have 
reason  to  be  proud  of  my  father's  good  report. 
Certainly,  I  will  go  a  distance  with  you  at  least, 
and  thank  you  for  information.  To  speak  frankly, 
I  am  seeking  my  fortune." 

The  merchant  spoke  to  his  companions,  and, 
raising  a  huge  conch-shell  to  his  mouth,  blew  a 
blast  that  started  every  slave  to  his  feet.  For  a 
few  minutes  all  was  commotion.  The  mats  were 
rolled  up,  and,  with  the  provision-baskets,  slung 
upon  broad  shoulders ;  each  tamane  resumed  his 
load  of  wares,  and  took  his  place  ;  those  armed 
put  themselves,  with  their  masters,  at  the  head; 


10  THE   FAIR   GOD 

and  at  another  peal  from  the  shell  all  set  forward. 
The  column,  if  such  it  may  be  called,  was  long, 
and  not  without  a  certain  picturesqueness  as  it 
crossed  the  stream  and  entered  a  tract  covered 
with  tall  trees,  amongst  which  the  palm  was 
strangely  intermingled  with  the  oak  and  the  cy- 
press. The  whole  valley,  from  the  lake  to  the 
mountains,  was  irrigated  and  under  cultivation. 
Full  of  wonder,  the  hunter  marched  beside  the 
merchant. 


II 


QUETZAL',  THE  FAIR  GOD 

WAS  speaking  about  Quetzal',  I 
believe,"  said  the  old  man,  when 
all  were  fairly  on  the  way.  "  His 
real  name  was  Quetzalcoatl.1  He 
was  a  wonderfully  kind  god,  who, 
many  ages  ago,  came  into  the  val- 
ley here,  and  dwelt  a  while.  The 
people  were  then  rude  and  savage ;  but  he  taught 
them  agriculture  and  other  arts,  of  which  you 
will  see  signs  as  we  get  on.  He  changed  the 
manners  and  customs;  while  he  stayed,  famine 
was  unknown ;  the  harvests  were  abundant,  and 
happiness  universal.  Above  all,  he  taught  the 
princes  wisdom  in  their  government.  If  to-day 
the  Aztec  Empire  is  the  strongest  in  the  world,  it 
is  owing  to  Quetzal'.  Where  he  came  from,  or 
how  long  he  stayed,  is  not  known.  The  people 
and  their  governors  after  a  time  proved  ungrate- 
ful, and  banished  him  ;  they  also  overthrew  his 
religion,  and  set  up  idols  again,  and  sacrificed 
men,  both  of  which  he  had  prohibited.  Driven 

1  In  Aztec  mythology,  God  of  the  Air. 


12  THE   FAIR   GOD 

away,  he  went  to  Cholula ;  thence  to  the  seacoast, 
where,  it  is  said,  he  built  him  a  canoe  of  serpent- 
skins,  and  departed  for  Tlapallan,  a  heaven  lying 
somewhere  toward  the  rising  sun.  But  before  he 
went,  he  promised  to  return  some  day,  and  wrest 
away  the  Empire  and  restore  his  own  religion.  In 
appearance  he  was  not  like  our  race  ;  his  skin  was 
white,  his  hair  long  and  wavy  and  black.  He  is 
said  to  have  been  wise  as  a  god,  and  more  beauti- 
ful than  men.  Such  is  his  history  ;  and,  as  the 
prophecy  has  it,  the  time  of  his  return  is  at  hand. 
The  king  and  Tlalac,  the  teotuctli?  are  looking  for 
him ;  they  expect  him  every  hour,  and,  they  say, 
live  in  continued  dread  of  him.  Wishing  to  pro- 
pitiate him,  they  have  called  the  people  together, 
and  celebrate  to-morrow,  with  sacrifices  and  com- 
bats and  more  pomp  than  was  ever  seen  before, 
not  excepting  the  time  of  the  king's  coronation." 

The  hunter  listened  closely,  and  at  the  conclu- 
sion said  :  "  Thank  you,  uncle.  Tell  me  now  of 
the  combats." 

"  Yes.  In  the  days  of  the  first  kings  it  was  the 
custom  to  go  into  the  temples,  choose  the  bravest 
warriors  there  set  apart  for  sacrifice,  bring  them 
into  the  tiangnez,  and  make  them  do  battle  in  the 
presence  of  the  people.  If  they  conquered,  .they 
were  set  free  and  sent  home  with  presents."  2 

"With  whom  did  they  combat  ?  " 

"  True  enough,  my  son.  The  fight  was  deemed 
a  point  of  honor  amongst  the  Aztecs,  and  the  best 

1  Equivalent  to  pontiff  or  pope. 

2  Sahagun,  Hist,  de  Nueva  Esp. 


QUETZAL',    THE    FAIR   GOD  13 

of  them  volunteered.  Indeed,  those  were  royal 
times !  Of  late,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  the  custom  of 
which  I  was  speaking  has  been  neglected,  but  to- 
morrow it  is  to  be  revived.  The  scene  will  be  very 
grand.  The  king  and  all  the  nobles  will  be  there." 

The  description  excited  the  listener's  fancy,  and 
he  said,  with  flushed  cheeks,  "  I  would  not  lose 
the  chance  for  the  world.  Can  you  tell  me  who 
of  the  Aztecs  will  combat  ?  " 

"  In  the  city  we  could  easily  find  out ;  but  you 
must  recollect  I  am  going  home  after  a  long  ab- 
sence. The  shields  of  the  combatants  are  always 
exhibited  in  the  tiangucz  the  evening  before  the 
day  of  the  fight.  In  that  way  the  public  are  noti- 
fied beforehand  of  those  who  take  the  field.  As 
the  city  is  full  of  caciques,  you  may  be  assured 
our  champions  will  be  noble." 

"Thank  you  again,  uncle.  And  now,  as  one 
looking  for  service,  like  myself,  is  anxious  to  know 
with  whom  to  engage,  tell  me  of  the  caciques  and 
chiefs." 

"  Then  you  intend  entering  the  army  ?  " 

"  Well,  yes.  I  am  tired  of  hunting  ;  and  though 
trading  is  honorable,  I  have  no  taste  for  it." 

The  merchant,  as  if  deliberating,  took  out  a  box 
of  snuff  and  helped  himself ;  and  then  he  replied  : 

"  The  caciques  are  very  numerous ;  in  no  for- 
mer reign,  probably,  were  there  so  many  of  ability 
and  renown.  With  some  of  them  I  have  per- 
sonal acquaintance ;  others  I  know  only  by  sight 
or  reputation.  You  had  better  mention  those  of 
whom  you  have  been  thinking." 


14  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"Well,"  said  the  hunter,  "there  is  IztliT,  the 
Tezcucan." J 

"  Do  not  think  of  him,  I  pray  you  !  "  And  the 
good  man  spoke  earnestly.  "  He  is  brave  as  any, 
and  perhaps  as  skillful,  but  proud,  haughty,  soured, 
and  treacherous.  Everybody  fears  him.  I  sup- 
pose you  have  heard  of  his  father." 

"  You  mean  the  wise  'Hualpilli  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Upon  his  death,  not  long  since,  Iztlil' 
denied  his  brother's  right  to  the  Tezcucan  throne. 
There  was  a  quarrel  which  would  have  ended  in 
blood,  had  not  Montezuma  interfered,  and  given 
the  city  to  Cacama,  and  all  the  northern  part  of 
the  province  to  Iztlil'.  Since  that,  the  latter  has 
been  discontented  with  the  great  king.  So,  I  say 
again,  do  not  think  of  him,  unless  you  are  careless 
about  honor." 

"  Then  what  of  Cacama  ? 2  Tezcuco  is  a  goodly 
city." 

"  He  has  courage,  but  is  too  effeminate  to  be  a 
great  warrior.  A  garden  and  a  soft  couch  delight 
him  more  than  camps,  and  dancing  women  better 
than  fighting  men.  You  might  grow  rich  with 
him,  but  not  renowned.  Look  elsewhere." 

"Then  there  is  the  lord  Cuitlahua."3 

"The  king's  brother,  and  governor  of  Iztapala- 
pan  ! "  said  the  merchant  promptly.  "  Some  have 
thought  him  better  qualified  for  Chapultepec  than 
Montezuma,  but  it  is  not  wise  to  say  so.  His 

1  Ixtlilxochitl,  son  of  Nezahualpilli,  king  of  Tezcuco. 

2  King  of  Tezcuco. 

3  See  Prescott's  Cong,  of  Mexico. 


QUETZAL',   THE    FAIR   GOD  15 

people  are  prosperous,  and  he  has  the  most  beau- 
tiful gardens  in  the  world ;  unlike  Cacama,  he 
cares  nothing  for  them,  when  there  is  a  field  to 
be  fought.  Considering  his  influence  at  court  and 
his  love  of  war,  you  would  do  well  to  bear  shield 
for  him  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  he  is  old.  Were 
I  in  your  place,  my  son,  I  would  attach  myself  to 
some  young  man." 

"That  brings  me  to  Maxtla,  the  Tesoyucan." 

"  I  know  him  only  by  repute.  With  scarcely  a 
beard,  he  is  chief  of  the  king's  guard.  There  was 
never  anything  like  his  fortune.  Listen  now,  I 
will  tell  you  a  secret  which  may  be  of  value  to 
you  some  time.  The  king  is  not  as  young  as  he 
used  to  be  by  quite  forty  summers." 

The  hunter  smiled  at  the  caution  with  which 
the  old  man  spoke  of  the  monarch. 

"You  see,"  the  speaker  continued,  "time  and 
palace  life  have  changed  him  :  he  no  longer  leads 
the  armies ;  his  days  are  passed  in  the  temples 
with  the  priests,  or  in  the  gardens  with  his  women, 
of  whom  there  are  several  hundreds  ;  his  most 
active  amusement  now  is  to  cross  the  lake  to  his 
forests,  and  kill  birds  and  rabbits  by  blowing  little 
arrows  at  them  through  a  reed.  Thus  changed, 
you  can  very  well  understand  how  he  can  be 
amused  by  songs  and  wit,  and  make  favorites  of 
those  who  best  lighten  his  hours  of  satiety  and 
indolence.  In  that  way  Maxtla  rose,  —  a  marvel- 
ous courtier,  but  a  very  common  soldier." 

The  description  amused  the  young  man,  but  he 
said  gravely,  "  You  have  spoken  wisely,  uncle,  and 


16  THE   FAIR   GOD 

I  am  satisfied  you  know  the  men  well.  Really,  I 
had  no  intention  of  entering  the  suite  of  either  of 
them :  they  are  not  of  my  ideal ;  but  there  is  a 
cacique,  if  reports  are  to  be  credited,  beyond  all 
exception,  —  learned  and  brave,  honored  alike  by 
high  and  low." 

"  Ah  !  you  need  not  name  him  to  me.  I  know 
him,  as  who  does  not  ?  "  And  now  the  merchant 
spoke  warmly.  "  A  nobler  than  Guatamozin,1—- 
or,  as  he  is  more  commonly  called,  the  'tzin  Gua- 
tamo — never  dwelt  in  Anahuac.  He  is  the  peo- 
ple's friend,  and  the  Empire's  hope.  His  valor 
and  wisdom,  —  ah,  you  should  see  him,  my  son ! 
Such  a  face  !  His  manner  is  so  full  of  sweet  dig- 
nity !  But  I  will  give  you  other  evidence." 

He  clapped  his  hands  three  times,  and  a  soldier 
sprang  forward  at  the  signal. 

"  Do  you  know  the  'tzin  Guatamo  ?  "  asked  the 
merchant. 

"  I  am  an  humble  soldier,  my  master,  and  the 
'tzin  is  the  great  king's  nephew ;  but  I  know  him. 
When  he  was  only  a  boy,  I  served  under  him  in 
Tlascala.  He  is  the  best  chief  in  Anahuac." 

"That  will  do." 

1  Guatamozin,  nephew  to  Montezuma.  Of  him  Bernal  Diaz 
says :  "  This  monarch  was  between  twenty-three  and  twenty-four 
years  of  age,  and  could  in  all  truth  be  called  a  handsome  man, 
both  as  regards  his  countenance  and  figure.  His  face  was  rather 
of  an  elongated  form,  with  a  cheerful  look ;  his  eye  had  great 
expression,  both  when  he  assumed  a  majestic  expression,  or 
when  he  looked  pleasantly  around  ;  the  color  of  his  face  inclined 
to  white  more  than  to  the  copper-brown  tint  of  the  Indians  in 
general."  Diaz,  Conquest  of  Mexico,  Lockhart's  trans.,  vol.  iv. 
p.  no. 


QUETZAL',   THE   FAIR   GOD  17 

The  man  retired. 

"So  I  might  call  up  my  tamanes"  the  mer- 
chant resumed,  "  and  not  one  but  would  speak  of 
him  in  the  same  way." 

"  Strange  !  "  said  the  Tihuancan  in  a  low  tone. 

"  No  ;  if  you  allude  to  his  popularity,  it  is  not 
strange  :  if  you  mean  the  man  himself,  you  are 
right.  The  gods  seldom  give  the  qualities  that 
belong  to  him.  He  is  more  learned  than  Tlalac 
or  the  king ;  he  is  generous  as  becomes  a  prince  ; 
in  action  he  is  a  hero.  You  have  probably  heard 
of  the  Tlascalan  wall  in  the  eastern  valley  ; l  few 
warriors  ever  passed  it  and  lived ;  yet  he  did  so 
when  almost  a  boy.  I  myself  have  seen  him  send 
an  arrow  to  the  heart  of  an  eagle  in  its  flight. 
He  has  a  palace  and  garden  in  Iztapalapan ;  in 
one  of  the  halls  stand  the  figures  of  three  kings, 
two  of  Michuaca,  and  one  of  the  Ottomies.  He 
took  them  prisoners  in  battle,  and  now  they  hold 
torches  at  his  feasts." 

"  Enough,  enough  !  "  cried  the  hunter.  "  I  have 
been  dreaming  of  him  while  among  the  hills.  I 
want  no  better  leader." 

The  merchant  cast  an  admiring  glance  at  his 
beaming  countenance,  and  said,  "  You  are  right ; 
enter  his  service." 

In  such  manner  the  conversation  was  continued, 
until  the  sun  fast  declined  towards  the  western 
mountains.  Meantime,  they  had  passed  through 
several  hamlets  and  considerable  towns.  In  nearly 
the  whole  progress,  the  way  on  either  hand  had 

1  Prescott's  Conq.  of  Mexico,  vol.  i.  p.  417. 


i8  THE   FAIR  GOD 

been  lined  with  plantations.  Besides  the  presence 
of  a  busy,  thriving  population,  they  everywhere 
saw  evidences  of  a  cultivation  and  science,  con- 
stituting the  real  superiority  of  the  Aztecs  over 
their  neighbors.  The  country  was  thus  preparing 
the  stranger  for  the  city,  unrivaled  in  splendor 
and  beauty.  Casting  a  look  toward  the  sun,  he 
at  length  said,  "Uncle,  I  have  much  to  thank 
you  for,  —  you  and  your  friends.  But  it  is  grow- 
ing late,  and  I  must  hurry  on,  if  I  would  see  the 
tianguez  before  the  market  closes." 

"Very  well,"  returned  the  old  trader.  "We 
will  be  in  the  city  to-morrow.  The  gods  go  with 
you !  " 

Whistling  to  his  ocelot,  the  adventurer  quick- 
ened his  pace,  and  was  soon  far  in  the  advance. 


Ill 


A   CHALLENGE 

N  the  valley  of  Anahuac,  at  the  time 
I  write,  are  four  lakes,  —  Xaltocan, 
Chalco,  Xochichalco,  and  Tezcuco.  The 
latter,  besides  being  the  largest,  washed 
the  walls  of  Tenochtitlan,  and  was  the 
especial  pride  of  the  Aztecs,  who,  fa- 
miliar with  its  ways  as  with  the  city,  traversed 
them  all  the  days  of  the  year,  and  even  the 
nights. 

"Ho,  there!"  shouted  a  voyageur,  in  a  voice 
that  might  have  been  heard  a  long  distance  over 
the  calm  expanse  of  the  lake.    "  Ho,  the  canoe  !  " 
The  hail  was  answered. 
"  Is  it  Guatamozin  ? "  asked  the  first  speaker. 
"Yes." 

"  And  going  to  Tenochtitlan  ?  " 
"The  gods  willing,  —  yes." 
The  canoes  of  the  voyageurs  —  I  use  that  term 
because  it  more  nearly  expresses  the  meaning  of 
the  word  the  Aztecs  themselves  were  wont  to 


20  THE   FAIR   GOD 

apply  to  persons  thus  abroad  —  were,  at  the  time, 
about  the  middle  of  the  little  sea.  After  the 
'tzin's  reply,  they  were  soon  alongside,  when  lash- 
ings were  applied,  and  together  they  swept  on 
rapidly,  for  the  slaves  at  the  paddles  vied  in  skill 
and  discipline. 

"  Iztlil',  of  Tezcuco !  "  said  the  'tzin  lightly. 
"  He  is  welcome  ;  but  had  a  messenger  asked  me 
where  at  this  hour  he  would  most  likely  be  found, 
I  should  have  bade  him  search  the  chinampas, 
especially  those  most  notable  for  their  perfume 
and  music." 

The  speech  was  courteous,  yet  the  moment  of 
reply  was  allowed  to  pass.  The  'tzin  waited  until 
the  delay  excited  his  wonder. 

"  There  is  a  rumor  of  a  great  battle  with  the 
Tlascalans,"  he  said  again,  this  time  with  a  direct 
question.  "  Has  my  friend  heard  of  it  ?  " 

"  The  winds  that  carry  rumors  seldom  come  to 
me,"  answered  Iztlil'. 

"  Couriers  from  Tlascala  pass  directly  through 
your  capital "  - 

The  Tezcucan  laid  his  hand  on  the  speaker's 
shoulder. 

"  My  capital !  "  he  said.  "  Do  you  speak  of  the 
city  of  Tezcuco  ? " 

The  'tzin  dashed  the  hand  away,  and  arose,  say- 
ing, "  Your  meaning  is  dark  in  this  dimness  of 
stars." 

"  Be  seated,"  said  the  other. 

"  If  I  sit,  is  it  as  friend  or  foe  ?  " 

"  Hear  me  ;  then  be  yourself  the  judge." 


A   CHALLENGE  21 

The  Aztec  folded  his  cloak  about  him  and  re- 
sumed his  seat,  very  watchful. 

"  Montezuma,  the  king  "  - 

"  Beware  !  The  great  king  is  my  kinsman,  and 
I  am  his  faithful  subject." 

The  Tezcucan  continued.  "  In  the  valley  the 
king  is  next  to  the  gods  ;  yet  to  his  nephew  I 
say  I  hate  him,  and  will  teach  him  that  my  hate  is 
no  idleness,  like  a  passing  love.  'Tzin,  a  hundred 
years  ago'  our  races  were  distinct  and  independent. 
The  birds  of  the  woods,  the  winds  of  the  prairie, 
were  not  more  free  than  the  people  of  Tezcuco. 
We  had  our  capital,  our  temples,  our  worship,  and 
our  gods  ;  we  celebrated  our  own  festivals,  our 
kings  commanded  their  own  armies,  our  priest- 
hood prescribed  their  own  sacrifices.  But  where 
now  are  king,  country,  and  gods  ?  Alas  !  you  have 
seen  the  children  of  'Hualpilli,  of  the  blood  of  the 
Acolhuan,  suppliants  of  Montezuma,  the  Aztec." 
And,  as  if  overcome  by  the  recollection,  he  burst 
into  apostrophe.  "I  mourn  thee,  O  Tezcuco, 
garden  of  my  childhood,  palace  of  my  fathers, 
inheritance  of  my  right !  Against  me  are  thy 
gates  closed.  The  stars  may  come,  and  as  of  old 
garland  thy  towers  with  their  rays  ;  but  in  thy 
echoing  halls  and  princely  courts  never,  never 
shall  I  be  known  again  !  " 

The  silence  that  ensued,  the  'tzin  was  the  first 
to  break. 

"You  would  have  me  understand,"  he  said, 
"that  the  king  has  done  you  wrong.  Be  it  so. 
But,  for  such  cause,  why  quarrel  with  me  ?  " 


22  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"  Ah,  yes ! "  answered  the  Tezcucan  in  an 
altered  voice.  "  Come  closer,  that  the  slaves  may 
not  hear." 

The  Aztec  kept  his  attitude  of  dignity.  Yet 
lower  Iztlil'  dropped  his  voice. 

"  The  king  has  a  daughter  whom  he  calls  Tula, 
and  loves  as  the  light  of  his  palace." 

The  'tzin  started,  but  held  his  peace. 

"  You  know  her  ? "  continued  the  Tezcucan. 

"  Name  her  not ! "  said  Guatamozin  passion- 
ately. 

"Why  not?  I  love  her,  and  but  for  you,  O 
'tzin,  she  would  have  loved  me.  You,  too,  have 
done* me  wrong." 

With  thoughts  dark  as  the  waters  he  rode,  the 
Aztec  looked  long  at  the  light  of  fire  painted  on 
the  sky  above  the  distant  city. 

"  Is  Guatamozin  turned  woman  ?  "  asked  Iztlil' 
tauntingly. 

"  Tula  is  my  cousin.  We  have  lived  the  lives 
of  brother  and  sister.  In  hall,  in  garden,  on  the 
lake,  always  together,  I  could  not  help  loving  her." 

"You  mistake  me,"  said  the  other.  "I  seek 
her  for  wife,  but  you  seek  her  for  ambition ;  in 
her  eyes  you  see  only  her  father's  throne." 

Then  the  Aztec's  manner  changed  and  he  as- 
sumed the  mastery. 

"  Enough,  Tezcucan  !  I  listened  calmly  while 
you  reviled  the  king,  and  now  I  have  somewhat  to 
say.  In  your  youth  the  wise  men  prophesied  evil 
from  you  ;  they  said  you  were  ingrate  and  blas- 
phemer then  :  your  whole  life  has  but  verified 


A   CHALLENGE  23 

their  judgment.  Well  for  your  royal  father  and 
his  beautiful  city  had  he  cut  you  off  as  they  coun- 
seled him  to  do.  Treason  to  the  king,  — defiance 
to  me !  By  the  holy  Sun,  for  each  offense  you 
should  answer  me  shield  to  shield  !  But  I  re- 
collect that  I  am  neither  priest  to  slay  a  victim 
nor  officer  to  execute  the  law.  I  mourn  a  feud, 
still  more  the  blood  of  countrymen  shed  by  my 
hand ;  yet  the  wrongs  shall  not  go  unavenged  or 
without  challenge.  To-morrow  is  the  sacrifice  to 
Quetzal'.  There  will  be  combat  with  the  best 
captives  in  the  temples  ;  the  arena  will  be  in  the 
tianguez  ;  Tenochtitlan,  and  all  the  valley,  and  all 
the  nobility  of  the  Empire,  will  look  on.  Dare 
you  prove  your  kingly  blood  ?  I  challenge  the 
son  of  'Hualpilli  to  share  the  danger  with  me." 

The  cacique  was  silent,  and  the  'tzin  did  not 
disturb  him.  At  his  order,  however,  the  slaves 
bent  their  dusky  forms,  and  the  vessels  sped  on, 
like  wingless  birds. 


IV 


TENOCHTITLAN   AT   NIGHT 

HE  site  of  the  city  of  Tenochti- 
tlan  was  chosen  by  the  gods.  In 
the  southwestern  border  of  Lake 
Tezcuco,  one  morning  in  1300,  a 
wandering  tribe  of  Aztecs  saw 
an  eagle  perched,  with  outspread 
wings,  upon  a  cactus,  and  holding  a  serpent  in  its 
talons.  At  a  word  from  their  priests,  they  took 
possession  of  the  marsh,  and  there  stayed  their 
migration  and  founded  the  city :  such  is  the  tra- 
dition. As  men  love  to  trace  their  descent  back 
to  some  storied  greatness,  nations  delight  to  as- 
sociate the  gods  with  their  origin. 

Originally  the  Aztecs  were  barbarous.  In  their 
southern  march,  they  brought  with  them  only 
their  arms  and  a  spirit  of  sovereignty.  The  valley 
of  Anahuac,  when  they  reached  it,  was  already 
peopled  ;  in  fact,  had  been  so  for  ages.  The  cul- 
tivation and  progress  they  found  and  conquered 
there  reacted  upon  them.  They  grew  apace ;  and 


TENOCHTITLAN   AT   NIGHT  25 

as  they  carried  their  shields  into  neighboring  ter- 
ritory, as  by  intercourse  and  commerce  they  crept 
from  out  their  shell  of  barbarism,  as  they  strength- 
ened in  opulence  and  dominion,  they  repudiated 
the  reeds  and  rushes  of  which  their  primal  houses 
were  built,  and  erected  enduring  temples  and 
residences  of  Oriental  splendor. 

Under  the  smiles  of  the  gods,  whom  countless 
victims  kept  propitiated,  the  city  threw  abroad 
its  arms,  and,  before  the  passage  of  a  century, 
became  the  emporium  of  the  valley.  Its  people 
climbed  the  mountains  around,  and,  in  pursuit  of 
captives  to  grace  their  festivals,  made  the  con- 
quest of  "Mexico."  Then  the  kings  began  to 
centralize.  They  made  Tenochtitlan  their  capi- 
tal ;  under  their  encouragement  the  arts  grew  and 
flourished ;  its  market  became  famous  ;  the  nobles 
and  privileged  orders  made  it  their  dwelling-place  ; 
wealth  abounded ;  as  a  consequence,  a  vast  popu- 
lation speedily  filled  its  walls  and  extended  them 
as  required.  At  the  coming  of  the  "conquista- 
dores  "  it  contained  sixty  thousand  houses  and 
three  hundred  thousand  souls.  Its  plat  testifies 
to  a  high  degree  of  order  and  regularity,  with  all 
the  streets  running  north  and  south,  and  inter- 
sected by  canals,  so  as  to  leave  quadrilateral 
blocks.  An  ancient  map,  exhibiting  the  city  pro- 
per, presents  the  face  of  a  checker-board,  each 
square,  except  those  of  some  of  the  temples  and 
palaces,  being  meted  with  mathematical  certainty. 

Such  was  the  city  the  'tzin  and  the  cacique 
were  approaching.  Left  of  them,  half  a  league 


26  THE   FAIR   GOD 

distant,  lay  the  towers  and  embattled  gate  of 
Xoloc.  On  the  horizon  behind  paled  the  fires  of 
Iztapalapan,  while  those  of  Tenochtitlan  at  each 
moment  threw  brighter  hues  into  the  sky,  and 
more  richly  empurpled  the  face  of  the  lake.  In 
mid-air,  high  over  all  others,  like  a  great  torch, 
blazed  the  pyre  of  Huitzil'.1  Out  on  the  sea,  the 
course  of  the  voyagenrs  was  occasionally  ob- 
structed by  cJiinampas  at  anchor,  or  afloat  before 
the  light  wind  ;  nearer  the  walls,  the  floating  gar- 
dens multiplied  until  the  passage  was  as  if  through 
an  archipelago  in  miniature.  From  many  of  them 
poured  the  light  of  torches  ;  others  gave  to  the 
grateful  sense  the  melody  of  flutes  and  blended 
voices ;  while  over  them  the  radiance  from  the 
temples  fell  softly,  revealing  white  pavilions, 
orange-trees,  flowering  shrubs,  and  nameless  vari- 
eties of  the  unrivaled  tropical  vegetation.  A 
breeze,  strong  enough  to  gently  ripple  the  lake, 
hovered  around  the  undulating  retreats,  scattering 
a  largesse  of  perfume,  and  so  ministering  to  the 
voluptuous  floramour  of  the  locality. 

As  the  voyagenrs  proceeded,  the  city,  rising  to 
view,  underwent  a  number  of  transformations. 
At  first,  amidst  the  light  of  its  own  fires,2  it 
looked  like  a  black  seashore  ;  directly  its  towers 
and  turrets  became  visible,  some  looming  vaguely 
and  dark,  others  glowing  and  purpled,  the  whole 

1  The  God  of  War,  — aptly  called  the  "  Mexican  Mais." 
'2  There  was  a  fire  for  each  altar  in  the  temples  wliich  was 
inextinguishable ;  and  so  numerous  were  the  altars,  and  so  bril- 
liant their  fires,  that  they  kept  the  city  illuminated  throughout 
the  darkest  nights.     Prescott,  Conq.  of  Mexico,  vol.  i.  p.  72. 


TENOCHTITLAN   AT   NIGHT  27 

magnified  by  the  dim  duplication  below ;  then  it 
seemed  like  a  cloud,  one  half  kindled  by  the  sun, 
the  other  obscured  by  the  night.  As  they  swept 
yet  nearer,  it  changed  to  the  likeness  of  a  long, 
ill-defined  wall,  over  which  crept  a  hum  wing-like 
and  strange,  —  the  hum  of  myriad  life. 

In  silence  still  they  hurried  forward.  Vessels 
like  their  own,  but  with  lanterns  of  stained  agiiavc 
at  the  prows,  seeking  some  favorite  chinampa, 
sped  by  with  benisons  from  the  crews.  At  length 
they  reached  the  wall,  and,  passing  through  an 
interval  that  formed  the  outlet  of  a  canal,  entered 
the  city.  Instantly  the  water  became  waveless  ; 
houses  encompassed  them  ;  lights  gleamed  across 
their  way ;  the  hum  that  hovered  over  them  while 
out  on  the  lake  realized  itself  in  the  voices  of  men 
and  the  notes  of  labor. 

Yet  farther  into  the  city,  the  light  from  the 
temples  increased.  From  towers,  turreted  like  a 
Moresco  castle,  they  heard  the  night-watchers 
proclaiming  the  hour.  Canoes,  in  flocks,  darted 
by  them,  decked  with  garlands,  and  laden  with 
the  wealth  of  a  merchant,  or  the  trade  of  a  mar- 
ketman,  or  full  of  revelers  singing  choruses  to 
the  stars  or  to  the  fair  denizens  of  the  palaces. 
Here  and  there  the  canal  was  bordered  with 
sidewalks  of  masonry,  and  sometimes  with  steps 
leading  from  the  water  up  to  a  portal,  about  which 
were  companies  whose  flaunting,  parti-colored 
costumes,  brilliant  in  the  mellowed  light,  had  all 
the  appearance  of  Venetian  masqueraders. 

At  last  the  canoes  gained  the  great  street  that 


28 


THE   FAIR   GOD 


continued  from  the  causeway  at  the  south  through 
the  whole  city;  then  the  Tezcucan  touched  the 
'tzin,  and  said,  — 

"The  son  of  'Hualpilli  accepts  the  challenge, 
Aztec.  In  the  tianguez  to-morrow." 

Without  further  speech,  the  foemen  leaped  on 
the  landing  and  separated. 


. 


THK   CHILD   OF   THE   TEMPLE 

HERK  were  two  royal  palaces  in  the 
city  ;  one  built  by  Axaya',  the  other 
by  Montezuma,  the  reigning  king, 
who  naturally  preferred  his  own 
structure,  and  so  resided  there.  It 
was  a  low,  irregular  pile,  embracing  not  only 
the  king's  abode  proper,  but  also  quarters 
for  his  guard,  and  edifices  for  an  armory, 
an  aviary,  and  a  menagerie.  Attached  to 
it  was  a  garden,  adorned  with  the  choicest 
shrubbery  and  plants,  with  fruit  and  forest 
trees,  with  walks  strewn  with  shells,  and 
fountains  of  pure  water  conducted  from  the  reser- 
voir of  Chapultepec. 


30  THE   FAIR   GOD 

At  night,  except  when  the  moon  shone,  the 
garden  was  lighted  with  lamps ;  and,  whether  in 
day  or  night,  it  was  a  favorite  lounging-place. 
During  fair  evenings,  particularly,  its  walks,  of  the 
whiteness  of  snow,  were  thronged  by  nobles  and 
courtiers. 

Shortly  after  the  arrival  of  Iztlil'  and  Guata- 
mozin,  a  party,  mostly  of  the  sons  of  provincial 
governors  kept  at  the  palace  as  hostages,  were 
gathered  in  the  garden,  under  a  canopy  used  to 
shield  a  fountain  from  the  noonday  sun.  The 
place  was  fairly  lighted,  the  air  fresh  with  the 
breath  of  flowers,  and  delightful  with  the  sound 
of  falling  water. 

Maxtla,  chief  of  the  guard,  was  there,  his  juve- 
nility well  hidden  under  an  ostentatious  display. 
That  he  was  "a  very  common  soldier"  in  the 
opinion  of  the  people  was  of  small  moment :  he 
had  the  king's  ear ;  and  that,  without  wit  and 
courtierly  tact,  would  have  made  him  what  he 
was,  —  the  oracle  of  the  party  around  him. 

In  the  midst  of  his  gossip,  Iztlil',  the  Tezcucan, 
came  suddenly  to  the  fountain.  He  coldly  sur- 
veyed the  assembly.  Maxtla  alone  saluted  him. 

"  Will  the  prince  of  Tezcuco  be  seated  ?  "  said 
the  chief. 

"  The  place  is  pleasant,  and  the  company  looks 
inviting,"  returned  Iztlil'  grimly. 

Since  his  affair  with  Guatamozin,  he  had  donned 
the  uniform  of  an  Aztec  chieftain.  Over  his 
shoulders  was  carelessly  flung  a  crimson  tilmatli, 
—  a  short,  square  cloak,  fantastically  embroidered 


THE   CHILD   OF   THE   TEMPLE  31 

with  gold,  and  so  sprinkled  with  jewels  as  to  flash 
at  every  movement ;  his  body  was  wrapped  closely 
in  an  escaupil,  or  tunic,  of  cotton  lightly  quilted, 
over  which,  and  around  his  waist,  was  a  maxtlatl, 
or  sash,  inseparable  from  the  warrior.  A  casque 
of  silver,  thin,  burnished,  and  topped  with  plumes, 
surmounted  his  head.  His  features  were  grace- 
fully moulded,  and  he  would  have  been  handsome 
but  that  his  complexion  was  deepened  by  black, 
frowning  eyebrows.  He  was  excessively  arro- 
gant ;  though  sometimes,  when  deeply  stirred  by 
passion,  his  manner  rose  into  the  royal.  His 
character  I  leave  to  history. 

"  I  have  just  come  from  Iztapalapan,"  he  said, 
as  he  sat  upon  the  proffered  stool  "  The  lake  is 
calm,  the  way  was  very  pleasant,  I  had  the  'tzin 
Guatamo  for  comrade." 

"You  were  fortunate.  The  'tzin  is  good  com- 
pany," said  Maxtla. 

Iztlil'  frowned,  and  became  silent. 

"  To-morrow,"  continued  the  courtier,  upon 
whom  the  discontent,  slight  as  it  was,  had  not 
been  lost,  "  is  the  sacrifice  to  Quetzal'.  I  am  re- 
minded, gracious  prince,  that,  at  a  recent  celebra- 
tion, you  put  up  a  thousand  cocoa,1  to  be  forfeited 
if  you  failed  to  see  the  daughter  of  Mualox,  the 
paba.  If  not  improper,  how  runs  the  wager,  and 
what  of  the  result?" 

The  cacique  shrugged  his  broad  shoulders. 

1  The  Aztec  currency  consisted  of  bits  of  tin,  in  shape  like  a 
capital  T,  of  quills  of  gold-dust,  and  of  bags  of  cocoa,  containing 
a  stated  number  of  grains.  Sahagun,  Hist,  de  Nue-va  Esp. 


32  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"  The  man  trembles !  "  whispered  one  of  the 
party. 

"  Well  he  may !  Old  Mualox  is  more  than  a 
man." 

Maxtla  bowed  and  laughed.  "  Mualox  is  a  ma- 
gician ;  the  stars  deal  with  him.  And  my  brother 
will  not  speak,  lest  he  may  cover  the  sky  of  his 
fortune  with  clouds." 

"  No,"  said  the  Tezcucan  proudly  ;  "  the  wager 
was  not  a  sacrilege  to  the  paba  or  his  god ;  if  it 
was,  the  god,  not  the  man,  should  be  a  warrior's 
fear." 

"  Does  Maxtla  believe  Mualox  a  prophet  ? " 
asked  Tlahua,  a  noble  Otompan. 

"  The  gods  have  power  in  the  sun  ;  why  not  on 
earth  ? " 

"You  do  not  like  the  paba,"  observed  Iztlil' 
gloomily. 

"  Who  has  seen  him,  O  prince,  and  thought  of 
love  ?  And  the  walls  and  towers  of  his  dusty 
temple,  —  are  they  not  hung  with  dread,  as  the 
sky  on  a  dark  day  with  clouds  ? " 

The  party,  however  they  might  dislike  the 
cacique,  could  not  listen  coldly  to  this  conversa- 
tion. They  were  mostly  of  that  mystic  race  of 
Azatlan,  who,  ages  before,  had  descended  into 
the  valley,  like  an  inundation,  from  the  north  ; 
the  race  whose  religion  was  founded  upon  credu- 
lity ;  the  race  full  of  chivalry,  but  horribly  gov- 
erned by  a  crafty  priesthood.  None  of  them 
disbelieved  in  star-dealing.  So  every  eye  fixed 
on  the  Tezcucan,  every  ear  drank  the  musical 


THE   CHILD    OF   THE   TEMPLE  33 

syllables  of  Maxtla.  They  were  startled  when 
the  former  said  abruptly,  — 

"  Comrades,  the  wrath  of  the  old  paba  is  not 
to  be  lightly  provoked ;  he  has  gifts  not  of  men. 
But  as  there  is  nothing  I  do  not  dare,  I  will  tell 
the  story." 

The  company  now  gathered  close  around  the 
speaker. 

"Probably  you  have  all  heard,"  he  began,  "that 
Mualox  keeps  in  his  temple  somewhere  a  child 
or  woman  too  beautiful  to  be  mortal.  The  story 
may  be  true ;  yet  it  is  only  a  belief ;  no  eye  has 
seen  footprint  or  shadow  of  her.  A  certain  lord 
in  the  palace,  who  goes  thrice  a  week  to  the 
shrine  of  Quetzal',  has  faith  in  the  gossip  and 
the  paba.  He  says  the  mystery  is  Quetzal'  him- 
self, already  returned,  and  waiting,  concealed  in 
the  temple,  the  ripening  of  the  time  when  he  is 
to  burst  in  vengeance  on  Tenochtitlan.  I  heard 
him  talking  about  it  one  day,  and  wagered  him  a 
thousand  cocoa  that,  if  there  was  such  a  being  I 
would  see*  her  before  the  next  sacrifice  to  Que- 
tzal'." 

The  Tezcucan  hesitated. 

"  Is  the  believer  to  boast  himself  wealthier  by 
the  wager  ? "  said  Maxtla,  profoundly  interested. 
"  A  thousand  cocoa  would  buy  a  jewel  or  a  slave  : 
surely,  O  prince,  surely  they  were  worth  the  win- 
ning !  " 

Iztlil'  frowned  again,  and  said  bitterly,  "  A  thou- 
sand cocoa  I  cannot  well  spare  ;  they  do  not  grow 
on  my  hard  northern  hills  like  flowers  in  Xochi- 


34  THE   FAIR   GOD 

milco.  I  did  my  best  to  save  the  wager.  Old 
habit  lures  me  to  the  great  teocallis ; 1  for  I  am 
of  those  who  believe  that  a  warrior's  worship  is 
meet  for  no  god  but  Huitzil'.  But  as  the  girl 
was  supposed  to  be  down  in  the  cells  of  the  old 
temple,  and  none  but  Mualox  could  satisfy  me,  I 
began  going  there,  thinking  to  bargain  humilities 
for  favor.  I  played  my  part  studiously,  if  not 
well ;  but  no  offering  of  tongue  or  gold  ever  won 
me  word  of  friendship  or  smile  of  confidence. 
Hopeless  and  weary,  I  at  last  gave  up,  and  went 
back  to  the  teocallis.  But  now  hear  my  parting 
with  the  paba.  A  short  time  ago  a  mystery  was 
enacted  in  the  temple.  At  the  end,  I  turned  to 
go  away,  determined  that  it  should  be  my  last 
visit.  At  the  eastern  steps,  as  I  was  about  de- 
scending, I  felt  a  hand  laid  on  my  arm.  It  was 
Mualox ;  and  not  more  terrible  looks  Tlalac  when 
he  has  sacrificed  a  thousand  victims.  There  was 
no  blood  on  his  hands ;  his  beard  and  surplice 
were  white  and  stainless ;  the  terror  was  in  his 
eyes,  that  seemed  to  burn  and  shoot  lightning. 
You  know,  good  chief,  that  I  could  have  crushed 
him  with  a  blow ;  yet  I  trembled.  Looking  back 
now,  I  cannot  explain  the  awe  that  seized  me. 
I  remember  how  my  will  deserted  me,  —  how 
another's  came  in  its  stead.  With  a  glance  he 
bound  me  hand  and  foot.  While  I  looked  at  him, 
he  dilated,  until  I  was  covered  by  his  shadow. 
He  magnified  himself  into  the  stature  of  a  god. 

1  Temple.     The  term  appears  to  have  applied  particularly  to 
the  temples  of  the  god  Huitzil'.     TR. 


fetfc 


^  • 


THE   CHILD   OF   THE   TEMPLE  35 

'  Prince  of  Tezcuco,'  he  said,  '  son  of  the  wise 
'Hualpilli,  from  the  sun  Quetzal'  looks  down  on 
the  earth.  Alike  over  land  and  sea  he  looks. 
Before  him  space  melts  into  a  span,  and  darkness 
puts  on  the  glow  of  day.  Did  you  think  to  de- 
ceive my  god,  O  prince  ? '  I  could  not  answer  ; 
my  tongue  was  like  stone.  '  Go  hence,  go  hence  ! ' 
he  cried,  waving  his  hand.  '  Your  presence  dark- 
ens his  mood.  His  wrath  is  on  your  soul ;  he 
has  cursed  you.  Hence,  abandoned  of  the  gods  ! ' 
So  saying,  he  went  back  to  the  tower  again,  and 
my  will  returned,  and  I  fled.  And  now,"  said  the 
cacique,  turning  suddenly  and  sternly  upon  his 
hearers,  "who  will  deny  the  magic  of  Mualox? 
How  may  I  be  assured  that  his  curse  that  day 
spoken  was  not  indeed  a  curse  from  Quetzal'  ?  " 

There  was  neither  word  nor  laugh,  —  not  even 
a  smile.  The  gay  Maxtla  appeared  infected  with 
a  sombreness  of  spirit  ;  and  it  was  not  long  until 
the  party  broke  up,  and  went  each  his  way. 


VI 


THE  cu  OF  QUETZAL',  AND  MUALOX. 

THE   PABA 

JVER  the  city  from  temple  to 
temple  passed  the  wail  of  the 
watchers,  and  a  quarter  of  the 
night  was  gone.  Few  heard  the 
cry  without  pleasure  ;  for  to-mor- 
row was  Quetzal's  day,  which  would  bring  feast- 
ing, music,  combat,  crowd,  and  flowers. 

Among  others  the  proclamation  of  the  passing 
time  was  made  from  a  temple  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  Tlateloco  tianguez,  or  market-place,  which 
had  been  built  by  one  of  the  first  kings  of  Te- 
nochtitlan,  and,  like  all  edifices  of  that  date  pro- 
perly called  Cus,  was  of  but  one  story,  and  had 


THE   CU    OF   QUETZAL'  37 

but  one  tower.  At  the  south  its  base  was  washed 
by  a  canal ;  on  all  the  other  sides  it  was  inclosed 
by  stone  walls  high,  probably,  as  a  man's  head. 
The  three  sides  so  walled  were  bounded  by  streets, 
and  faced  by  houses,  some  of  which  were  higher 
than  the  Cu  itself,  and  adorned  with  beautiful  por- 
ticos. The  canal  on  the  south  ran  parallel  with 
the  Tlacopan  causeway,  and  intersected  the  Izta- 
palapan  street  at  a  point  nearly  half  a  mile  above 
the  great  pyramid. 

The  antique  pile  thus  formed  a  square  of  vast 
extent.  According  to  the  belief  that  there  were 
blessings  in  the  orient  rays  of  the  sun,  the  front 
was  to  the  east,  where  a  flight  of  steps,  wide  as 
the  whole  building,  led  from  the  ground  to  the 
azoteas,  a  paved  area  constituting  the  roof, 
crowned  in  the  centre  by  a  round  tower  of  wood 
most  quaintly  carved  with  religious  symbols.  En- 
tering the  door  of  the  tower,  the  devotee  might 
at  once  kneel  before  the  sacred  image  of  Quetzal'. 

A  circuitous  stairway  outside  the  tower  con- 
ducted to  its  summit,  where  blazed  the  fire.  An- 
other flight  of  steps  about  midway  the  tower  and 
the  western  verge  of  the  azoteas  descended  into 
a  courtyard,  around  which,  in  the  shade  of  a 
colonnade,  were  doors  and  windows  of  habitable 
apartments  and  passages  leading  far  into  the  inte- 
rior. And  there,  shrouded  in  a  perpetual  twilight, 
and  darkness,  once  slept,  ate,  prayed,  and  studied 
or  dreamed  the  members  of  a  fraternity  power- 
ful as  the  Templars  and  gloomy  as  the  Fratres 
Minores. 


99729 


38  THE   FAIR   GOD 

The  interior  was  cut  into  rooms,  and  long,  wind- 
ing halls,  and  countless  cellular  dens. 

Such  was  the  Cu  of  Quetzal',  —  stern,  sombre, 
and  massive  as  in  its  first  days ;  unchanged  in  all 
save  the  prosperity  of  its  priesthood  and  the  pop- 
ularity of  its  shrine.  Time  was  when  every  cell 
contained  its  votaries,  and  kings,  returning  from 
battle,  bowed  before  the  altar.  But  Montezuma 
had  built  a  new  edifice,  and  set  up  there  a  new 
idol ;  and  as  if  a  king  could  better  make  a  god 
than  custom,  the  people  abandoned  the  old  ones 
to  desuetude.  Up  in  the  ancient  cupola,  however, 
sat  the  image  said  to  have  been  carved  by  Que- 
tzal's own  hand.  Still  the  fair  face  looked  out 
benignly  on  its  realm  of  air  ;  carelessly  the  winds 
waved  "  the  plumes  of  fire "  that  decked  its 
awful  head  ;  and  one  stony  hand  yet  grasped  a 
golden  sceptre,  while  the  other  held  aloft  the 
painted  shield,  —  symbols  of  its  dominion.1  But 
the  servitors  and  surpliced  mystics  were  gone  ; 
the  cells  were  very  solitudes  ;  the  last  paba  lin- 
gered to  protect  the  image  and  its  mansion,  all 
unwitting  how,  in  his  faithfulness  of  love,  he  him- 
self had  assumed  the  highest  prerogative  of  a  god. 

The  fire  from  the  urn  on  the  tower  flashed  a 
red  glow  down  over  the  azoteas,  near  a  corner  of 
which  Mualox  stood,  his  beard  white  and  flowing 
as  his  surplice.  Thought  of  days  palmier  for  him- 
self and  more  glorious  for  his  temple  and  god 
struggled  to  his  lips. 

"  Children  of  Azatlan,  ye  have  strayed  from  his 

1  Sahagun,  Hist,  de  JVuez'a  Esp. 


THE   CU    OF   QUETZAL'  39 

shrine,  and  dust  is  on  his  shield.  The  temple  is 
of  his  handiwork,  but  its  chambers  are  voiceless ; 
the  morning  comes  and  falls  asleep  on  its  steps, 
and  no  foot  disturbs  it,  no  one  seeks  its  blessings. 
Where  is  the  hymn  of  the  choir?  Where  the 
prayer  ?  Where  the  holiness  that  rested,  like  a 
spell,  around  the  altar  ?  Is  the  valley  fruitless, 
and  are  the  gardens  without  flowers,  that  he 
should  be  without  offering  or  sacrifice  ?  .  .  .  Ah  ! 
well  ye  know  that  the  day  is  not  distant  when  he 
will  glister  again  in  the  valley  ;  when  he  will  come, 
not  as  of  old  he  departed,  the  full  harvest  quick 
ripening  in  his  footsteps,  but  with  the  power  of 
Mictlan,1  the  owl  on  his  skirt,  and  death  in  his 
hand.  Return,  O  children,  and  Tenochtitlan  may 
yet  live ! " 

In  the  midst  of  his  pleadings  there  was  a  clang 
of  sandaled  feet  on  the  pavement,  and  two  men 
came  near  him,  and  stopped.  One  of  them  wore 
the  hood  and  long  black  gown  of  a  priest ;  the 
other  the  full  military  garb,  —  burnished  casque 
crested  with  plumes,  a  fur-trimmed  tilmatli,  escau- 
pil,  and  maxtlatl,  and  sandals  the  thongs  of  which 
were  embossed  with  silver.  He  also  carried  a 
javelin,  and  a  shield  with  an  owl  painted  on  its 
face.  Indeed,  one  will  travel  far  before  finding, 
among  Christians  or  unbelievers,  his  peer.  He 
was  then  not  more  than  twenty-five  years  old,  tall 
and  nobly  proportioned,  and  with  a  bearing  truly 
royal.  In  Spain  I  have  seen  eyes  as  large  and 

1  The  Mexican  Hell.  The  owl  was  the  symbol  of  the  Devil, 
whose  name  signifies  "  the  rational  owl." 


40  THE   FAIR  GOD 

lustrous,  but  none  of  such  power  and  variety  of 
expression.  His  complexion  was  merely  the  brown 
of  the  sun.  Though  very  masculine,  his  features, 
especially  when  the  spirit  was  in  repose,  were  soft- 
ened by  an  expression  unusually  gentle  and  attrac- 
tive. Such  was  the  'tzin  Guatamo,  or,  as  he  is 
more  commonly  known  in  history,  Guatamozin, 
—  the  highest,  noblest  type  of  his  race,  blending 
in  one  its  genius  and  heroism,  with  but  few  of  its 
debasements. 

"  Mualox,"  said  the  priestly  stranger. 

The  paba  turned,  and  knelt,  and  kissed  the 
pavement. 

"  O  king,  pardon  your  slave !  He  was  dream- 
ing of  his  country." 

"No  slave  of  mine,  but  Quetzal's.  Up,  Mua- 
lox !  "  said  Montezuma,  throwing  back  the  hood 
that  covered  his  head.  "  Holy  should  be  the  dust 
that  mingles  in  your  beard  !  " 

And  the  light  from  the  tower  shone  full  on  the 
face  of  him,  —  the  priest  of  lore  profound,  and 
monarch  wise  of  thought,  for  whom  Heaven  was 
preparing  a  destiny  most  memorable  among  the 
melancholy  episodes  of  history. 

A  slight  mustache  shaded  his  upper  lip,  and 
thin,  dark  beard  covered  his  chin  and  throat ;  his 
nose  was  straight ;  his  brows  curved  archly  ;  his 
forehead  was  broad  and  full,  while  he  seemed  pos- 
sessed of  height  and  strength.  His  neck  was 
round,  muscular,  and  encircled  by  a  collar  of 
golden  wires.  His  manner  was  winsome,  and  he 
spoke  to  the  kneeling  man  in  a  voice  clear,  dis- 


THE   CU    OF   QUETZAL'  41 

tinct,  and  sufficiently  emphatic  for  the  king  he 
was.1 

Mualox  arose,  and  stood  with  downcast  eyes, 
and  hands  crossed  over  his  breast. 

"  Many  a  coming  of  stars  it  has  been,"  he  said, 
"  since  the  old  shrine  has  known  the  favor  of 
gift  from  Montezuma.  Gloom  of  clouds  in  a  vale 
of  firs  is  not  darker  than  the  mood  of  Quetzal' ; 
but  to  the  poor  paba,  your  voice,  O  king,  is  wel- 
come as  the  song  of  the  river  in  the  ear  of  the 
thirsty." 

The  king  looked  up  at  the  fire  on  the  tower. 

"Why  should  the  mood  of  Quetzal'  be  dark? 
A  new  teocallis  holds  his  image.  His  priests  are 
proud  ;  and  they  say  he  is  happy,  and  that  when 
he  comes  from  the  golden  land  his  canoe  will  be 
full  of  blessings." 

Mualox  sighed,  and  when  he  ventured  to  raise 
his  eyes  to  the  king's,  they  were  wet  with  tears. 

"  O  king,  have  you  forgotten  that  chapter  of 
the  teoamoxtli?'  in  which  is  written  how  this  Cu 
was  built,  and  its  first  fires  lighted,  by  Quetzal' 
himself  ?  The  new  pyramid  may  be  grand  ;  its 
towers  may  be  numberless,  and  its  fires  far  reach- 
ing as  the  sun  itself :  but  hope  not  that  will  sat- 
isfy the  god,  while  his  own  house  is  desolate.  In 
the  name  of  Quetzal',  I,  his  true  servant,  tell  you, 
never  again  look  for  smile  from  Tlapallan." 

The  paba's  speech  was  bold,  and  the  king 
frowned  ;  but  in  the  eyes  of  the  venerable  man 

1  Bernal  Diaz,  Hist,  de  la  Conqitista. 

2  The  Divine  Book,  or  Bible.     Ixtlil's  Reladoncs,  MS. 


42  THE   FAIR   GOD 

there  was  the  unaccountable  fascination  men- 
tioned by  IzthT. 

"  I  remember  the  Mualox  of  my  father's  day ; 
surely  he  was  not  as  you  are  ! "  Then,  laying  his 
hand  on  the  'tzin's  arm,  the  monarch  added,  "  Did 
you  not  say  the  holy  man  had  something  to  tell 
me  ?  " 

Mualox  answered,  "  Even  so,  O  king  !  Few  are 
the  friends  left  the  paba,  now  that  his  religion  and 
god  are  mocked  ;  but  the  'tzin  is  faithful.  At  my 
bidding  he  went  to  the  palace.  Will  Montezuma 
go  with  his  servant  ?  " 

"  Where  ? " 

"  Only  into  the  Cu." 

The  monarch  faltered. 

"  Dread  be  from  you  ! "  said  Mualox.  "  Think 
you  it  is  as  hard  to  be  faithful  to  a  king  as  to  a 
god  whom  even  he  has  abandoned  ?  " 

Montezuma  was  touched.  "  Let  us  go,"  he 
said  to  the  'tzin. 


Y 


VII 


THE   PROPHECY    ON   THE   WALL 

UALOX  led  them  into  the 
tower.  The  light  of  purpled 
lamps  filled  the  sacred  place, 
and  played  softly  around  the 
idol,  before  which  they  bowed. 
Then  he  took  a  light  from  the 
altar,  and  conducted  them  to  the  azoteas,  and 
down  into  the  courtyard,  from  whence  they  en- 
tered a  hall  leading  on  into  the  Cu. 

The  way  was  labyrinthine,  and  both  the  king 
and  the  'tzin  became  bewildered  ;  they  only  knew 
that  they  descended  several  stairways,  and  walked 
a  considerable  distance  ;  nevertheless,  they  sub- 
mitted themselves  entirely  to  their  guide,  who  went 
forward  without  hesitancy.  At  last  he  stopped  ; 
and,  by  the  light  which  he  held  up  for  the  pur- 
pose, they  saw  in  a  wall  an  aperture  roughly  exca- 
vated, and  large  enough  to  admit  them  singly. 


44  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"  You  have  read  the  Holy  Book,  wise  king," 
said  Mualox.  "  Can  you  not  recall  its  saying  that, 
before  the  founding  of  Tenochtitlan,  a  Cu  was 
begun,  with  chambers  to  lie  under  the  bed  of  the 
lake  ?  Especially,  do  you  not  remember  the  decla- 
ration that,  in  some  of  those  chambers,  besides  a 
store  of  wealth  so  vast  as  to  be  beyond  the  calcu- 
lation of  men,  there  were  prophecies  to  be  read, 
written  on  the  walls  by  a  god  ? " 

"  I  remember  it,"  said  the  king. 

"Give  me  faith,  then,  and  I  will  show  you  all 
you  there  read." 

Thereupon  the  paba  stepped  into  the  aperture, 
saying,  — 

"  Mark  !  I  am  now  standing  under  the  eastern 
wall  of  the  old  Cu." 

He  passed  through,  and  they  followed  him,  and 
were  amazed. 

"  Look  around,  O  king !  You  are  in  one  of  the 
chambers  mentioned  in  the  Holy  Book." 

The  light  penetrated  but  a  short  distance,  so 
that  Montezuma  could  form  no  idea  of  the  extent 
of  the  apartment.  He  would  have  thought  it  a 
great  natural  cavern  but  for  the  floor  smoothly 
paved  with  alternate  red  and  gray  flags,  and  some 
massive  stone  blocks  rudely  piled  up  in  places  to 
support  the  roof. 

As  they  proceeded,  Mualox  said,  "  On  every 
side  of  us  there  are  rooms  through  which  we 
might  go  till,  in  stormy  weather,  the  waves  of  the 
lake  can  be  heard  breaking  overhead." 

In  a  short  time  they  again  stopped. 


THE   PROPHECY   ON   THE    WALL  45 

"  We  are  nearly  there.  Son  of  a  king,  is  your 
heart  strong  ?  "  said  Mualox  solemnly. 

Montezuma  made  no  answer. 

"Many  a  time,"  continued  the  paba,  "your 
glance  has  rested  on  the  tower  of  the  old  Cu, 
then  flashed  to  where,  in  prouder  state,  your 
pyramids  rise.  You  never  thought  the  gray  pile 
you  smiled  at  was  the  humblest  of  all  Quetzal's 
works.  Can  a  man,  though  a  king,  outdo  a 
god?" 

"  I  never  thought  so  ;  I  never  thought  so  ! " 

But  the  mystic  did  not  notice  the  deprecation. 

"See,"  he  said,  speaking  louder,  "the  pride  of 
man  says,  I  will  build  upward  that  the  sun  may 
show  my  power ;  but  the  gods  are  too  great  for 
pride ;  so  the  sun  shines  not  on  their  especial 
glories,  which  as  frequently  lie  in  the  earth  and 
sea  as  in  the  air  and  heavens.  O  mighty  king ! 
You  crush  the  worm  under  your  sandal,  never 
thinking  that  its  humble  life  is  more  wonderful 
than  all  your  temples  and  state.  It  was  the  same 
folly  that  laughed  at  the  simple  tower  of  Quetzal', 
which  has  mysteries  "  - 

"  Mysteries  !  "  said  the  king. 

"  I  will  show  you  wealth  enough  to  restock  the 
mines  and  visited  valleys  with  all  their  plundered 
gold  and  jewels." 

"  You  are  dreaming,  paba." 

"  Come,  then  ;  let  us  see ! " 

They  moved  past  some  columns,  and  came  be- 
fore a  great,  arched  doorway,  through  which 
streamed  a  brilliance  like  day. 


46  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"  Now,  let  your  souls  be  strong !  " 

They  entered  the  door,  and  for  a  while  were 
blinded  by  the  glare,  and  could  see  only  the  floor 
covered  with  grains  of  gold  large  as  wheat.  Mov- 
ing on,  they  came  to  a  great  stone  table,  and 
stopped. 

"  You  wonder ;  and  so  did  I,  until  I  was  re- 
minded that  a  god  had  been  here.  Look  up,  O 
king!  look  up,  and  see  the  handiwork  of  Que- 
tzal'!" 

The  chamber  was  broad  and  square.  The  ob- 
struction of  many  pillars,  forming  the  stay  of  the 
roof,  was  compensated  by  their  lightness  and  won- 
derful carving.  Lamps,  lit  by  Mualox  in  antici- 
pation of  the  royal  coming,  blazed  in  all  quarters. 
The  ceiling  was  covered  with  lattice-work  of  shin- 
ing white  and  yellow  metals,  the  preciousness  of 
which  was  palpable  to  eyes  accustomed  like  the 
monarch's.  Where  the  bars  crossed  each  other, 
there  were  fanciful  representations  of  flowers, 
wrought  in  gold,  some  of  them  large  as  shields, 
and  garnished  with  jewels  that  burned  with  star- 
like  fires.  Between  the  columns,  up  and  down 
ran  rows  of  brazen  tables,  bearing  urns  and  vases 
of  the  royal  metals,  higher  than  tall  men,  and 
carved  all  over  with  gods  in  bas-relief,  not  as  hid- 
eous caricatures,  but  beautiful  as  love  and  Grecian 
skill  could  make  them.  Between  the  vases  and 
urns  there  were  heaps  of  rubies  and  pearls  and 
brilliants,  amongst  which  looked  out  softly  the 
familiar,  pale-green  lustre  of  the  cJialchuites,  or 


THE   PROPHECY    ON   THE    WALL  47 

priceless  Aztecan  diamond.1  And  here  and  there, 
like  guardians  of  the  buried  beauty  and  treasure, 
statues  looked  down  from  tall  pedestals,  crowned 
and  armed,  as  became  the  kings  and  demi-gods 
of  a  great  and  martial  people.  The  monarch  was 
speechless.  Again  and  again  he  surveyed  the 
golden  chamber.  As  if  seeking  an  explanation, 
but  too  overwhelmed  for  words,  he  turned  to 
Mualox. 

"  And  now  does  Montezuma  believe  his  servant 
dreaming?"  said  the  paba.  "Quetzal*  directed 
the  discovery  of  the  chamber.  I  knew  of  it,  O 
king,  before  you  were  born.  And  here  is  the 
wealth  of  which  I  spoke.  If  it  so  confounds  you, 
how  much  more  will  the  other  mystery  !  I  have 
dug  up  a  prophecy;  from  darkness  plucked  a 
treasure  richer  than  all  these.  O  king,  I  will 
give  you  to  read  a  message  from  the  gods ! " 

The  monarch's  face  became  bloodless,  and  it 
had  now  not  a  trace  of  skepticism. 

"  I  will  show  you  from  Quetzal'  himself  that 
the  end  of  your  Empire  is  at  hand,  and  that 
every  wind  of  the  earth  is  full  sown  with  woe  to 
you  and  yours.  The  writing  is  on  the  walls. 
Come ! " 

And  he  led  the  king,  followed  by  Guatamozin, 
to  the  northern  corner  of  the  eastern  wall,  on 
which,  in  square  marble  panels,  bas-relief  style, 
were  hierograms  and  sculptured  pictures  of  men, 

1  A  kind  of  emerald,  used  altogether  by  the  nobility.  Saha- 
gun,  fit's f.  de  Nueva  Esf. 


4*  THE   FAIR   GOD 

executed  apparently  by  the  same  hand  that  chis- 
eled the  statues  in  the  room.  The  ground  of  the 
carvings  was  coated  with  coarse  gray  coral,  which 
had  the  effect  to  bring  out  the  white  figures  with 
marvelous  perfection. 

"This,  O  king,  is  the  writing,"  said  Mualox, 
"which  begins  here,  and  continues  around  the 
walls.  I  will  read,  if  you  please  to  hear." 

Montezuma  waved  his  hand,  and  the  paba  pro- 
ceeded. 

"This  figure  is  that  of  the  first  king  of  Te- 
nochtitlan ;  the  others  are  his  followers.  The 
letters  record  the  time  of  the  march  from  the 
north.  Observe  that  the  first  of  the  writing  — 
its  commencement  —  is  here  in  the  north." 

After  a  little  while,  they  moved  on  to  the  sec- 
ond panel. 

"  Here,"  said  Mualox,  "  is  represented  the 
march  of  the  king.  It  was  accompanied  with 
battles.  See,  he  stands  with  lifted  javelin,  his 
foot  on  the  breast  of  a  prostrate  foe.  His  follow- 
ers dance  and  sound  shells  ;  the  priests  sacrifice 
a  victim.  The  king  has  won  a  great  victory." 

They  stopped  before  the  third  panel. 

"  And  here  the  monarch  is  still  on  the  march. 
He  is  in  the  midst  of  his  warriors  ;  no  doubt  the 
crown  he  is  receiving  is  that  of  the  ruler  of  a 
conquered  city." 

This  cartoon  Montezuma  examined  closely. 
The  chief,  or  king,  was  distinguished  by  a  crown 
in  all  respects  like  that  then  in  the  palace ;  the 
priests,  by  their  long  gowns  ;  and  the  warriors, 


THE   PROPHECY   ON   THE   WALL  49 

by  their  arms,  which,  as  they  were  counterparts 
of  those  still  in  use,  sufficiently  identified  the 
wanderers.  Greatly  was  the  royal  inspector 
troubled.  And  as  the  paba  slowly  conducted 
him  from  panel  to  panel,  he  forgot  the  treasure 
with  which  the  chamber  was  stored.  What  he 
read  was  the  story  of  his  race,  the  record  of  their 
glory.  The  whole  eastern  wall,  he  found,  when 
he  had  passed  before  it,  given  to  illustrations  of 
the  crusade  from  Azatlan,  the  fatherland,  north- 
ward so  far  that  corn  was  gathered  in  the  snow, 
and  flowers  were  the  wonder  of  the  six  weeks' 
summer.  \ 

In  front  of  the  first  panel  on  the  southern  wall 
Mualox  said,  — 

"  All  we  have  passed  is  the  first  era  in  the  his- 
tory ;  this  is  the  beginning  of  the  second  ;  and 
the  first  writing  on  the  western  wall  will  com- 
mence a  third.  Here  the  king  stands  on  a  rock  ; 
a  priest  points  him  to  an  eagle  on  a  cactus,  hold- 
ing a  serpent.  At  last  they  have  reached  the 
place  where  Tenochtitlan  is  to  be  founded." 

The  paba  passed  on. 

"Here,"  he  said,  "are  temples  and  palaces. 
The  king  reclines  on  a  couch  ;  the  city  has  been 
founded." 

And  before  another  panel,  — "  Look  well  to 
this,  O  king !  A  new  character  is  introduced ; 
here  it  is  before  an  altar,  offering  a  sacrifice  of 
fruits  and  flowers.  It  is  Quetzal' !  In  his  wor- 
ship, you  recollect,  there  is  no  slaughter  of  vic- 
tims. My  hands  are  pure  of  blood." 


50  THE  FAIR  GOD 

The  Quetzal',  with  its  pleasant  face,  flowing 
curls,  and  simple  costume,  seemed  to  have  a 
charm  for  Montezuma,  for  he  mused  over  it  a 
long  time.  Some  distance  on,  the.  figure  again 
appeared,  stepping  into  a  canoe,  while  the  people, 
temples,  and  palaces  of  the  city  were  behind  it. 
Mualox  explained,  "  See,  O  king !  The  fair  god 
is  departing  from  Tenochtitlan  ;  he  has  been  ban- 
ished. Saddest  of  all  the  days  was  that !  " 

And  so,  the  holy  man  interpreting,  they  moved 
along  the  southern  wall.  Not  a  scene  but  was 
illustrative  of  some  incident  memorable  in  the 
Aztecan  history.  And  the  reviewers  were  struck 
with  the  faithfulness  of  the  record  not  less  than 
with  the  beauty  of  the  work. 

On  the  western  wall,  the  first  cartoon  repre- 
sented a  young  man  sweeping  the  steps  of  a  tem- 
ple. Montezuma  paused  before  it  amazed,  and 
Guatamozin  for  the  first  time  cried  out,  "  It  is 
the  king !  It  is  the  king  !  "  The  likeness  was 
perfect. 

After  that  came  a  coronation  scene.  The  teo- 
tuctli  was  placing  a  panache  1  on  Montezuma's 
head.  In  the  third  cartoon,  he  was  with  the 
army,  going  to  battle.  In  the  fourth,  he  was 
seated,  while  a  man  clad  in  nequen?  but  crowned, 
stood  before  him. 

1  Or  capilli,  —  the  king's  crown.     A  panache  was  the  head- 
dress of  a  warrior. 

2  A  garment  of  coarse  white  material,  made  from  the  fibre  of 
the  aloe,  and  by  court  etiquette  required  to  be  worn  by  cour- 
tiers and  suitors  in  the  king's  presence.     The  rule  appears  to 
have  been  of  universal  application. 


THE    PROPHECY    ON   THE   WALL  51 

"  You  have  grown  familiar  with  triumphs,  and 
it  is  many  summers  since,  O  king,"  said  Mualox ; 
"but  you  have  not  yet  forgotten  the  gladness  of 
your  first  conquest.  Here  is  its  record.  As  we 
go  on,  recall  the  kings  who  were  thus  made  to 
stand  before  you." 

And  counting  as  they  proceeded,  Montezuma 
found  that  in  every  cartoon  there  was  an  addi- 
tional figure  crowned  and  in  nequen.  When  they 
came  to  the  one  next  the  last  on  the  western 
wall,  he  said,  — 

"  Show  me  the  meaning  of  all  this  :  here  are 
thirty  kings." 

"Will  the  king  tell  his  slave  the  number  of 
cities  he  has  conquered  ?  " 

He  thought  a  while,  and  replied,  "Thirty." 

"  Then  the  record  is  faithful.  It  started  with 
the  first  king  of  Tenochtitlan  ;  it  came  down  to 
your  coronation  ;  now,  it  has  numbered  your  con- 
quests. See  you  not,  O  king?  Behind  us,  all 
the  writing  is  of  the  past ;  this  is  Montezuma  and 
Tenochtitlan  as  they  are :  the  present  is  before 
us  !  Could  the  hand  that  set  this  chamber  and 
carved  these  walls  have  been  a  man's  ?  Who  but 
a  god  six  cycles  ago  could  have  foreseen  that  a 
son  of  the  son  of  Axaya'  would  carry  the  rulers 
of  thirty  conquered  cities  in  his  train  ? " 

The  royal  visitor  listened  breathlessly.  He 
began  to  comprehend  the  writing,  and  thrill  with 
fast-coming  presentiments.  Yet  he  struggled  with 
his  fears. 

"  Prophecy  has  to  do  with  the  future,"  he  said  ; 


52  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"  and  you  have  shown  me  nothing  that  the  sculp- 
tors and  jewelers  in  my  palace  cannot  do.  Would 
you  have  me  believe  all  this  from  Quetzal',  show 
me  something  that  is  to  come." 

Mualox  led  him  to  the  next  scene  which  repre- 
sented the  king  sitting  in  state  ;  above  him  a 
canopy  ;  his  nobles  and  the  women  of  his  house- 
hold around  him  ;  at  his  feet  the  people  ;  and  all 
were  looking  at  'a  combat  going  on  between 
warriors. 

"You  have  asked  for  prophecy,  —  behold!" 
said  Mualox. 

"  I  see  nothing,"  replied  the  king. 

"  Nothing  !  Is  not  this  the  celebration  to-mor- 
row ?  Since  it  was  ordered,  could  your  sculptors 
have  executed  what  you  see  ? " 

Back  to  the  monarch's  face  stole  the  pallor. 

"  Look  again,  O  king  !  You  only  saw  yourself, 
your  people  and  warriors.  But  what  is  this  ?  " 

Walking  up,  he  laid  his  finger  on  the  represen- 
tation of  a  man  landing  from  a  canoe. 

"  The  last  we  beheld  of  Quetzal',"  he  continued, 
"  was  on  the  southern  wall ;  his  back  was  to  Te- 
nochtitlan,  which  he  was  leaving  with  a  curse. 
All  you  have  heard  about  his  promise  to  return  is 
true.  He  himself  has  written  the  very  day,  and 
here  it  is.  Look !  While  the  king,  his  warriors 
and  people,  are  gathered  to  the  combat,  Quetzal' 
steps  from  the  canoe  to  the  seashore." 

The  figure  in  the  carving  was  scarcely  two 
hands  high,  but  exquisitely  wrought.  With  ter- 
ror poorly  concealed,  Montezuma  recognized  it. 


THE   PROPHECY   ON   THE   WALL  53 

"  And  now  my  promise  is  redeemed.  I  said 
I  would  give  you  to  read  a  message  from  the 
sun." 

"  Read,  Mualox  :  I  cannot." 

The  holy  man  turned  to  the  writing,  and  said, 
with  a  swelling  voice,  "  Thus  writes  Quetzal'  to 
Montezuma,  the  king  !  In  the  last  day  he  will 
seek  to  stay  my  vengeance  ;  he  will  call  together 
his  people ;  there  will  be  combat  in  Tenochtitlan ; 
but  in  the  midst  of  the  rejoicing  I  will  land  on  the 
seashore,  and  end  the  days  of  Azatlan  forever." 

"  Forever  ! "  said  the  unhappy  monarch.  "  No, 
no  !  Read  the  next  writing." 

"There  is  no  other;  this  is  the  last." 

The  eastern,  southern,  and  western  walls  had 
been  successively  passed,  and  interpreted.  Now 
the  king  turned  to  the  northern  wall :  it  was 
blank  !  His  eyes  flashed,  and  he  almost 
shouted,  — 

"  Liar  !  Quetzal'  may  come  to-morrow,  but  it 
will  be  as  friend.  There  is  no  curse  ! " 

The  paba  humbled  himself  before  the  speaker, 
and  said,  slowly  and  tearfully,  "The  wise  king  is 
blinded  by  his  hope.  When  Quetzal'  finished  this 
chapter,  his  task  was  done ;  he  had  recorded  the 
last  day  of  perfect  glory,  and  ceased  to  write 
because,  Azatlan  being  now  to  perish,  there  was 
nothing  more  to  record.  O  unhappy  king !  that 
is  the  curse,  and  it  needed  no  writing!" 

Montezuma  shook  with  passion. 

"  Lead  me  hence  ;  lead  me  hence  !  "  he  cried. 
"  I  will  watch  ;  and  if  Quetzal'  comes  not  on  the 


54  THE   FAIR   GOD 

morrow,  —  comes  not  during  the  celebration,  —  I 
swear  to  level  this  temple,  and  let  the  lake  into 
its  chambers  !  And  you,  paba  though  you  be,  I 
will  drown  you  like  a  slave  !  Lead  on  !  " 

Mualox  obeyed  without  a  word.  Lamp  in  hand, 
he  led  his  visitors  from  the  splendid  chamber  up 
to  the  azoteas  of  the  ancient  house.  As  they 
descended  the  eastern  steps,  he  knelt,  and  kissed 
the  pavement. 


VIII 

A   BUSINESS   MAN    IN   TENOCHTITLAN 

OLI,  the  Chalcan,  was  supposed 
to  be  the  richest  citizen,  exclusive 
of  the  nobles,  in  Tenochtitlan. 
Amongst  other  properties,  he 
owned  a  house  on  the  eastern 
side  of  the  Tlateloco  tianguez,  or 
market-place ;  which,  whether  considered  archi- 
tecturally, or  with  reference  to  the  business  to 
which  it  was  devoted,  or  as  the  device  of  an  unas- 
soilzied  heathen,  was  certainly  very  remarkable. 
Its  portico  had  six  great  columns  of  white  marble 
alternating  six  others  of  green  porphyry,  with  a 
roof  guarded  by  a  parapet  intricately  and  taste- 
fully carved  ;  while  cushioned  lounges,  heavy  cur- 
tains festooned  and  flashing  with  cochineal,  and  a 
fountain  of  water  pure  enough  for  the  draught 
of  a  king,  all  within  the  columns,  perfected  it  as 
a  retreat  from  the  sultry  summer  sun. 

The  house  thus  elegantly  garnished  was  not  a 
meson,  or  a  cafe,  or  a  theatre,  or  a  broker's  office  ; 
but  rather  a  combination  of  them  all,  and  there- 
fore divided  into  many  apartments  ;  of  which  one 


56  THE   FAIR   GOD 

was  for  the  sale  of  beverages  favorite  among  the 
wealthy  and  noble  Aztecs,  —  Bacchic  inventions, 
with  pulque  for  chief  staple,  since  it  had  the 
sanction  of  antiquity  and  was  mildly  intoxicating ; 
another  was  a  restaurant,  where  the  cuisine  was 
only  excelled  at  the  royal  table  ;  indeed,  there  was 
a  story  abroad  that  the  king  had  several  times 
borrowed  the  services  of  the  Chalcan's  artistes; 
but,  whether  derived  from  the  master  or  his 
slaves,  the  shrewd  reader  will  conclude  from  it, 
that  the  science  of  advertising  was  known  and 
practiced  as  well  in  Tenochtitlan  as  in  Madrid. 
Nor  were  these  all.  Under  the  same  roof  were 
rooms  for  the  amusement  of  patrons,  —  for  read- 
ing, smoking,  and  games  ;  one  in  especial  for  a 
play  of  hazard  called  totoloqtie,  then  very  popular, 
because  a  passion  of  Montezuma's.  Finally,  as 
entertainments  not  prohibited  by  the  teotuctli,  a 
signal  would,  at  any  time,  summon  a  minstrel,  a 
juggler,  or  a  dancing-girl.  Hardly  need  I  say  that 
the  establishment  was  successful.  Always  ringing 
with  music,  and  of  nights  always  resplendent  with 
lamps,  it  was  always  overflowing  with  custom. 

"  So  old  Tepaja  wanted  you  to  be  a  merchant," 
said  the  Chalcan,  in  his  full,  round  voice,  as,  com- 
fortably seated  under  the  curtains  of  his  portico, 
he  smoked  his  pipe,  and  talked  with  our  young 
friend,  the  Tihuancan. 

"  Yes.  Now  that  he  is  old,  he  thinks  war  dan- 
gerous." 

"You  mistake  him,  boy.  He  merely  thinks 
with  me,  that  there  is  something  more  real  in 


A    BUSINESS   MAN   IN   TENOCHTITLAN         57 

wealth  and  many  slaves.  As  he  has  grown  older, 
he  has  grown  wiser." 

"  As  you  will.     I  could  not  be  a  merchant." 

"  Whom  did  you  think  of  serving  ?  " 

"The  'tzin  Guatamo."  l 

"  I  know  him.  He  comes  to  my  portico  some- 
times, but  not  to  borrow  money.  You  see,  I  fre- 
quently act  as  broker,  and  take  deposits  from  the 
merchants  and  securities  from  the  spendthrift  no- 
bles ;  he,  however,  has  no  vices.  When  not  with 
the  army,  he  passes  the  time  in  study  ;  though 
they  do  say  he  goes  a  great  deal  to  the  palace 
to  make  love  to  the  princess.  And  now  that  I 
reflect,  I  doubt  if  you  can  get  place  with  him." 

"  Why  so  ?  " 

"  Well,  he  keeps  no  idle  train,  and  the  time  is 
very  quiet.  If  he  were  going  to  the  frontier  it 
would  be  different." 

" Indeed ! " 

"  You  see,  boy,  he  is  the  bravest  man  and  best 
fighter  in  the  army ;  and  the  sensible  fellows  of 
moderate  skill  and  ambition  have  no  fancy  for 
the  hot  place  in  a  fight,  which  is  generally  where 
he  is." 

"The  discredit  is  not  to  him,  by  Our  Mother ! " 
said  Hualpa  laughing. 

The  broker  stopped  to  cherish  the  fire  in  his 
pipe,  —  an  act  which  the  inexperienced  consider 
wholly  incompatible  with  the  profound  reflection 
he  certainly  indulged.  When  next  he  spoke,  it 

1  'Tzin  was  a  title  equivalent  to  lord  in  English.  Guatamo- 
tsitt,  as  compounded,  signifies  Lord  Guatamo. 


58  THE   FAIR   GOD 

was  with  smoke  wreathing  his  round  face,  as 
white  clouds  sometimes  wreathe  the  full  moon. 

"About  an  hour  ago  a  fellow  came  here,  and 
said  he  had  heard  that  Iztlil',  the  Tezcucan,  had 
challenged  the  'tzin  to  go  into  the  arena  with  him 
to-morrow.  Not  a  bad  thing  for  the  god  Quetzal', 
if  all  I  hear  be  true !  " 

Again  the  pipe,  and  then  the  continuation. 

"  You  see,  when  the  combat  was  determined 
on,  there  happened  to  be  in  the  temples  two 
Othmies  and  two  Tlascalans,  warriors  of  very 
great  report.  As  soon  as  it  became  known  that, 
by  the  king's  choice,  they  were  the  challengers, 
the  young  fellows  about  the  palace  shunned  the 
sport,  and  there  was  danger  that  the  god  would 
find  himself  without  a  champion.  To  avoid  such 
a  disgrace,  the  'tzin  was  coming  here  to-night  to 
hang  his  shield  in  the  portico.  If  he  and  the 
Tezcucan  both  take  up  the  fight,  it  will  be  a  great 
day  indeed." 

The  silence  that  ensued  was  broken  by  the 
hunter,  whom  the  gossip  had  plunged  into  revery. 

"  I  pray  your  pardon,  Xoli ;  but  you  said,  I 
think,  that  the  lords  hang  back  from  the  danger. 
Can  any  one  volunteer  ?  " 

"  Certainly ;  any  one  who  is  a  warrior,  and  is  in 
time.  Are  you  of  that  mind  ?  " 

The  Chalcan  took  down  the  pipe,  and  looked  at 
him  earnestly. 

"  If  I  had  the  arms  "  • 

"  But  you  know  nothing  about  it,  —  not  even 
how  such  combats  are  conducted  !  " 


A   BUSINESS   MAN   IN   TENOCHTITLAN         59 

The  broker  was  now  astonished. 

"  Listen  to  me,"  he  said.  "  These  combats  are 
always  in  honor  of  some  one  or  more  of  the  Azte- 
can  gods, — generally  of  Huitzil',  god  of  war. 
They  used  to  be  very  simple  affairs.  A  small 
platform  of  stone,  of  the  height  of  a  man,  was  put 
up  in  the  midst  of  the  tianguez,  so  as  to  be  seen 
by  the  people  standing  around  ;  and  upon  it,  in 
pairs,  the  champions  fought  their  duels.  This, 
however,  was  too  plain  to  suit  the  tastes  of  the 
last  Montezuma ;  and  he  changed  the  ceremony 
into  a  spectacle  really  honorable  and  great.  Now, 
the  arena  is  first  prepared,  —  a  central  space  in  a 
great  many  rows  of  seats  erected  so  as  to  rise  one 
above  the  other.  At  the  proper  time,  the  people, 
the  priests,  and  the  soldiers  go  in  and  take  posses- 
sion of  their  allotted  places.  Some  time  previous, 
the  quarters  of  the  prisoners  taken  in  battle  are 
examined,  and  two  or  more  of  the  best  of  the  war- 
riors found  there  are  chosen  by  the  king,  and  put 
in  training  for  the  occasion.  They  are  treated 
fairly,  and  are  told  that,  if  they  fight  and  win,  they 
shall  be  crowned  as  heroes,  and  returned  to  their 
tribes.  No  need,  I  think,  to  tell  you  how  brave 
men  fight  when  stimulated  by  hope  of  glory  and 
hope  of  life.  When  chosen,  their  names  are  pub- 
lished, and  their  shields  hung  up  in  a  portico  on 
the  other  side  of  the  square  yonder ;  after  which 
they  are  understood  to  be  the  challengers  of  any 
equal  number  of  warriors  who  dare  become  cham- 
pions of  the  god  or  gods  in  whose  honor  the  cele- 
bration is  had.  Think  of  the  approved  skill  and 


60  THE   FAIR   GOD 

valor  of  the  foe  ;  think  of  the  thousands  who  will 
be  present ;  think  of  your  own  inexperience  in 
war,  and  of  your  youth,  your  stature  hardly  gained, 
your  muscles  hardly  matured  ;  think  of  every- 
thing tending  to  weaken  your  chances  of  success, 
—  and  then  speak  to  me." 

Hualpa  met  the  sharp  gaze  of  the  Chalcan 
steadily,  and  answered,  "  I  am  thought  to  have 
some  skill  with  the  bow  and  maquahuitl.  Get  me 
the  opportunity,  and  I  will  fight." 

And  Xoli,  who  was  a  sincere  friend,  reflected 
a  while.  "  There  is  peril  in  the  undertaking,  to  be 
sure ;  but  then  he  is  resolved  to  be  a  warrior,  and 
if  he  survives,  it  is  glory  at  once  gained,  fortune 
at  once  made."  Then  he  arose,  and,  smiling,  said 
aloud,  "  Let  us  go  to  the  portico.  If  the  list  be 
not  full,  you  shall  have  the  arms,  —  yes,  by  the 
Sun !  as  the  lordly  Aztecs  swear,  —  the  very  best 
in  Tenochtitlan." 

And  they  lifted  the  curtains,  and  stepped  into 
the  tianguez?  The  light  of  the  fires  on  the  tem- 
ples was  hardly  more  in  strength  than  the  shine 
of  the  moon  ;  so  that  torches  had  to  be  set  up  at 
intervals  over  the  celebrated  square.  On  an  ordi- 
nary occasion,  with  a  visitation  of  forty  thousand 
busy  buyers  and  sellers,  it  was  a  show  of  mer- 
chants and  merchantable  staples  worthy  the  chief 
mart  of  an  empire  so  notable ;  but  now,  drawn  by 
the  double  attraction  of  market  and  celebration, 

1  The  great  market-place  or  square  of  Tlateloco.  The  Span- 
iards called  it  tianguez.  For  description,  see  Prescott,  Cong,  of 
Mexico,  vol.  ii.  book  iv. ;  Bernal  Diaz,  Hist,  de  la  Conquista. 


A    BUSINESS   MAN   IN   TENOCHTITLAN         6 1 

the  multitude  that  thronged  it  was  trebly  greater  ; 
yet  the  order  was  perfect. 

An  officer,  at  the  head  of  a  patrol,  passed  them 
with  a  prisoner. 

"  Ho,  Chalcan  !  If  you  would  see  justice  done, 
follow  me." 

"Thanks,  thanks,  good  friend;  I  have  been 
before  the  judges  too  often  already." 

So  the  preservation  of  the  peace  was  no  mys- 
tery. 

The  friends  made  way  slowly,  giving  the  Ti- 
huancan  time  to  gratify  his  curiosity.  He  found 
the  place  like  a  great  national  fair,  in  which  few 
branches  of  industry  were  unrepresented.  There 
were  smiths  who  worked  in  the  coarser  metals, 
and  jewelers  skillful  as  those  of  Europe  ;  there 
were  makers  and  dealers  in  furniture,  and  sandals, 
and  plumajc  ;  at  one  place  men  were  disposing 
of  fruits,  flowers,  and  vegetables  ;  not  far  away 
fishermen  boasted  their  stock  caught  that  day  in 
the  fresh  waters  of  Chalco  ;  tables  of  pastry  and 
maize  bread  were  set  next  the  quarters  of  the 
hunters  of  Xilotepec ;  the  armorers,  clothiers,  and 
dealers  in  cotton  were  each  of  them  a  separate 
host.  In  no  land  where  a  science  has  been  taught 
or  a  book  written  have  the  fine  arts  been  dishon- 
ored ;  and  so  in  the  great  market  of  Tenochtitlan 
there  were  no  galleries  so  rich  as  those  of  the 
painters,  nor  was  any  craft  allowed  such  space  for 
their  exhibitions  as  the  sculptors. 

They  halted  an  instant  before  a  porch  full  of 
slaves.  A  rapid  glance  at  the  miserable  wretches, 


62  THE   FAIR   GOD 

and  Xoli  said  pitilessly,  "  Bah  !  Mictlan  has  many 
such.  Let  us  go." 

Farther  on  they  came  to  a  platform  on  which  a 
band  of  mountebanks  was  performing.  Hualpa 
would  have  stayed  to  witness  their  tableaux,  but 
Xoli  was  impatient. 

"You  see  yon  barber's  shop,"  he  said;  "next 
to  it  is  the  portico  we  seek.  Come  on  !  " 

At  last  they  arrived  there,  and  mixed  with  the 
crowd  curious  like  themselves. 

"  Ah,  boy,  you  are  too  late  !     The  list  is  full." 

The  Chalcan  spoke  regretfully. 

Hualpa  looked  for  himself.  On  a  clear  white 
wall,  that  fairly  glistened  with  the  flood  of  light 
pouring  upon  it,  he  counted  eight  shields,  or 
gages  of  battle.  Over  the  four  to  the  left  were 
picture- written,  "Othmies,"  "Tlascalans."  They 
belonged  to  the  challengers,  and  were  battered 
and  stained,  proving  that  their  gathering  had  been 
in  no  field  of  peace.  The  four  to  the  right  were 
of  the  Aztecs,  and  all  bore  devices  except  one. 
A  sentinel  stood  silently  beneath  them. 

"Welcome,  Chalcan!"  said  a  citizen,  saluting 
the  broker.  "  You  are  in  good  time  to  tell  us  the 
owners  of  the  shields  here." 

"  Of  the  Aztecs  ? " 

"Yes." 

"  Well,"  said  Xoli  slowly  and  gravely.  "  The 
shields  I  do  not  know  are  few  and  of  little  note. 
At  one  time  or  another  I  have  seen  them  all  pass 
my  portico  going  to  battle." 

A  bystander,  listening,  whispered  to  his  friends  : 


A   BUSINESS   MAN    IN   TENOCHTITLAN       63 

"  The  braggart !  He  says  nothing  of  the  times  the 
owners  passed  his  door  to  get  a  pinch  of  his  snuff." 

"  Or  to  get  drunk  on  his  abominable  ptilque" 
said  another. 

"  Or  to  get  a  loan,  leaving  their  palaces  in 
pawn,"  said  a  third  party. 

But  Xoli  went  on  impressively,  — 

"  Those  two  to  the  left  belong  to  a  surly  Otom- 
pan  and  a  girl-faced  Cholulan.  They  had  a  quar- 
rel in  the  king's  garden,  and  this  is  the  upshot. 
That  other,  —  surely,  O  citizens,  you  know  the 
shield  of  Iztlil',  the  Tezcucan !  " 

"  Yes  ;  but  its  neighbor  ?  " 

"  The  plain  shield  !  Its  owner  has  a  name  to 
win.  I  can  find  you  enough  such  here  in  the 
market  to  equip  an  army.  Say,  soldier,  whose 
gage  is  that  ?  " 

The  sentinel  shook  his  head.  "  A  page  came 
not  long  ago,  and  asked  me  to  hang  it  up  by  the 
side  of  the  Tezcucan's.  He  said  not  whom  he 
served." 

"Well,  may  be  you  know  the  challengers." 

"  Two  of  the  shields  belong  to  a  father  and  son 
of  the  tribe  of  Othmies.  In  the  last  battle  the 
son  alone  slew  eight  Cempoallan  warriors  for  us. 
Tlascalans,  whose  names  I  do  not  know,  own 
the  others." 

"  Do  you  think  they  will  escape  ? "  asked  a 
citizen. 

The  sentinel  smiled  grimly,  and  said,  "  Not  if  it 
be  true  that  yon  plain  shield  belongs  to  Guatamo, 
the  "tzin." 


64  THE   FAIR   GOD 

Directly  a  patrol,  rudely  thrusting  the  citizens 
aside,  came  to  relieve  the  guard.  In  the  confu- 
sion, the  Chalcan  whispered  to  his  friend,  "  Let 
us  go  back.  There  is  no  chance  for  you  in  the 
arena  to-morrow ;  and  this  new  fellow  is  sullen  ; 
his  tongue  would  not  wag  though  I  promised  him 
drink  from  the  king's  vase." 

Soon  after  they  reached  the  Chalcan's  portico 
and  disappeared  in  the  building,  the  cry  of  the 
night-watchers  arose  from  the  temples,  and  the 
market  was  closed.  The  great  crowd  vanished  I 
in  stall  and  portico  the  lights  were  extinguished ; 
but  at  once  another  scene  equally  tumultuous 
usurped  the  tianguez.  Thousands  of  half -naked 
tamanes  rushed  into  the  deserted  place,  and  all 
night  long  it  resounded,  like  a  Babel,  with  clamor 
of  tongues,  and  notes  of  mighty  preparation. 


IX 


THE   QUESTIONER   OF   THE    MORNING 

HEN  Montezuma  departed  from  the 
old  Cti  for  his  palace,  it  was  not  to 
sleep  or  rest.  The  revelation  that 
so  disturbed  him,  that  held  him 
wordless  on  the  street,  and  made 
him  shrink  from  his  people,  wild  with  the  prom- 
ise of  pomp  and  combat,  would  not  be  shut  out 
by  gates  and  guards  ;  it  clung  to  his  memory, 
and  with  him  stood  by  the  fountain,  walked  in  the 


66  THE   FAIR   GOD 

garden,  and  laid  down  on  his  couch.  Royalty 
had  no  medicine  for  the  trouble  ;  he  was  restless 
as  a  fevered  slave,  and  at  times  muttered  prayers, 
pronouncing  no  name  but  Quetzal's.  When  the 
morning  approached,  he  called  Maxtla,  and  bade 
him  get  ready  his  canoe :  from  Chapultepec,  the 
palace  and  tomb  of  his  fathers,  he  would  see  the 
sun  rise. 

From  one  of  the  westerly  canals  they  put  out. 
The  lake  was  still  rocking  the  night  on  its  bosom, 
and  no  light  other  than  of  the  stars  shone  in  the 
east.  The  gurgling  sound  of  waters  parted  by 
the  rushing  vessel  and  the  regular  dip  of  the 
paddles  were  all  that  disturbed  the  brooding  of 
majesty  abroad  thus  early  on  Tezcuco. 

The  canoe  struck  the  white  pebbles  that  strewed 
the  landing  at  the  princely  property  just  as  dawn 
was  dappling  the  sky.  On  the  highest  point  of 
the  hill  there  was  a  tower  from  which  the  kings 
were  accustomed  to  observe  the  stars.  Thither 
Montezuma  went.  Maxtla,  who  alone  dared  fol- 
low, spread  a  mat  for  him  on  the  tiles ;  kneeling 
upon  it,  and  folding  his  hands  worshipfully  upon 
his  breast,  he  looked  to  the  east. 

And  the  king  was  learned  ;  indeed,  one  more 
so  was  not  in  all  his  realm.  In  his  student  days, 
and  in  his  priesthood,  before  he  was  taken  from 
sweeping  the  temple  to  be  arch-ruler,  he  had 
gained  astrological  craft,  and  yet  practiced  it  from 
habit.  The  heavens,  with  their  blazonry,  were  to 
him  as  pictured  parchments.  He  loved  the  stars 
for  their  sublime  mystery,  and  had  faith  in  them 


THE   QUESTIONER   OF  THE   MORNING        67 

as  oracles.  He  consulted  them  always ;  his  ar- 
mies marched  at  their  bidding ;  and  they  and  the 
gods  controlled  every  movement  of  his  civil  polity. 
But  as  he  had  never  before  been  moved  by  so 
great  a  trouble,  and  as  the  knowledge  he  now 
sought  directly  concerned  his  throne  and  nations, 
he  came  to  consult  and  question  the  Morning, 
that  intelligence  higher  and  purer  than  the  stars. 
If  Quetzal'  was  angered,  and  would  that  day  land 
for  vengeance,  he  naturally  supposed  the  Sun,  his 
dwelling-place,  would  give  some  warning.  So  he 
came  seeking  the  mood  of  the  god  from  the 
Sun. 

And  while  he  knelt,  gradually  the  gray  dawn 
melted  into  purple  and  gold.  The  stars  went 
softly  out.  Long  rays,  like  radiant  spears,  shot 
up  and  athwart  the  sky.  As  the  indications  mul- 
tiplied, his  hopes  arose.  Farther  back  he  threw 
the  hood  from  his  brow ;  the  sun  seemed  coming 
clear  and  cloudless  above  the  mountains,  kindling 
his  heart  no  less  than  the  air  and  earth. 

A  wide  territory,  wrapped  in  the  dim  light,  ex- 
tended beneath  his  feet.  There  slept  Tenochti- 
tlan,  with  her  shining  temples  and  blazing  towers, 
her  streets  and  resistless  nationality ;  there  were 
the  four  lakes,  with  their  blue  waters,  their  shores 
set  with  cities,  villages,  and  gardens ;  beyond  them 
lay  eastern  Anahuac,  the  princeliest  jewel  of  the 
Empire.  What  with  its  harvests,  its  orchards, 
and  its  homesteads,  its  forests  of  oak,  sycamore, 
and  cedar,  its  population  busy,  happy,  and  faith- 
ful, contented  as  tillers  of  the  soil,  and  brave  as 


68  THE   FAIR   GOD 

lions  in  time  of  need,  it  was  allot  Aden  he  had 
ever  known  or  dreamed. 

In  the  southeast,  above  a  long  range  of  moun- 
tains, rose  the  volcanic  peaks  poetized  by  the 
Aztecs  into  "  The  White  Woman  "  J  and  "  The 
Smoking  Hill."2  Mythology  had  covered  them 
with  sanctifying  faith,  as,  in  a  different  age  and 
more  classic  clime,  it  clothed  the  serene  mountain 
of  Thessaly. 

But  the  king  saw  little  of  all  this  beauty ;  he 
observed  nothing  but  the  sun,  which  was  rising  a 
few  degrees  north  of  "The  Smoking  Hill."  In 
all  the  heavens  round  there  was  not  a  fleck  ;  and 
already  his  heart  throbbed  with  delight,  when  sud- 
denly a  cloud  of  smoke  rushed  upward  from  the 
mountain,  and  commenced  gathering  darkly  about 
its  white  summit.  Quick  to  behold  it,  he  scarcely 
hushed  a  cry  of  fear,  and  instinctively  waved  his 
hand,  as  if,  by  a  kingly  gesture,  to  stay  the  erup- 
tion. Slowly  the  vapor  crept  over  the  roseate 
sky,  and,  breathless  and  motionless,  the  seeker  of 
the  god's  mood  and  questioner  of  the  Morning 
watched  its  progress.  Across  the  pathway  of  the 
sun  it  stretched,  so  that  when  the  disk  wheeled 
fairly  above  the  mountain-range,  it  looked  like  a 
ball  of  blood. 

The  king  was  a  reader  of  picture-writing,  and 
skillful  in  deducing  the  meaning  of  men  from 
cipher  and  hieroglyph.  Straightway  he  inter- 
preted the  phenomenon  as  a  direful  portent  ;  and 
because  he  came  looking  for  omens,  the  idea  that 

1  Iztaccihuatl.  -  Popocatepetl. 


THE   QUESTIONER   OF  THE   MORNING        69 

this  was  a  message  sent  him  expressly  from  the 
gods  was  but  a  right  royal  vanity.  He  drew  the 
hood  over  his  face  again,  and  drooped  his  head 
disconsolately  upon  his  breast.  His  mind  filled 
with  a  host  of  gloomy  thoughts.  The  revelation 
of  Mualox  was  prophecy  here  confirmed,  —  Que- 
tzal* was  coming!  Throne,  power,  people, — all 
the  glories  of  his  country  and  Empire,  —  he  saw 
snatched  from  his  nerveless  grasp,  and  floating 
away,  like  the  dust  of  the  valley. 

After  a  while  he  arose  to  depart.  One  more 
look  he  gave  the  sun  before  descending  from  the 
roof,  and  shuddered  at  the  sight  of  city,  lake, 
valley,  the  cloud  itself,  and  the  sky  above  it,  all 
colored  with  an  ominous  crimson. 

"  Behold  !  "  he  said  tremulously  to  Maxtla,  "  to- 
day we  will  sacrifice  to  Quetzal'  :  how  long  until 
Quetzal'  sacrifices  to  himself  ?  " 

The  chief  cast  down  his  eyes  ;  for  he  knew  how 
dangerous  it  was  to  look  on  royalty  humbled  by 
fear.  Then  Montezuma  shaded  his  face  again, 
and  left  the  proud  old  hill,  with  a  sigh  for  its  pal- 
aces and  the  beauty  of  its  great  cypress  groves. 


GOING  TO   THE   COMBAT 

S  the  morning   advanced,  the   city 
grew  fully  animate.    A  festal  spirit 
was    abroad,    seeking     display    in 
masks,    mimes,     and    processions. 
Jugglers  performed  on  the  street 
corners ;    dancing-girls,    with   tam- 
bours and  long  elf-locks  dressed  in 
flowers,  possessed  themselves  of  the 
smooth  sidewalks.   Very  plainly,  the 
evil  omen  of  the  morning  affected 
the  king  more  than  his  people. 
The  day  advanced  clear  and  beautiful.     In  the 
eastern  sky  the  smoke  of  the  volcano  still  lingered  ; 
but  the  sun  rose  above  it,  and  smiled  on  the  val- 
ley, like  a  loving  god. 

At  length  the  tambour  in  the  great  temple 
sounded  the  signal  of  assemblage.  Its  deep  tones, 
penetrating  every  recess  of  the  town  and  rushing 
across  the  lake,  were  heard  in  the  villages  on  the 
distant  shores.  Then,  in  steady  currents,  the 
multitudes  set  forward  for  the  tianguez.  The  chi- 
nampas  were  deserted ;  hovels  and  palaces  gave 
up  their  tenantry  ;  canoes,  gay  with  garlands,  were 
abandoned  in  the  waveless  canals.  The  women 


GOING   TO   THE   COMBAT  71 

and  children  came  down  from  the  roofs ;  from  all 
the  temples  —  all  but  the  old  one  with  the  soli- 
tary gray  tower  and  echoless  court  —  poured 
the  priesthood  in  processions,  headed  by  chanting 
choirs,  and  interspersed  with  countless  sacred 
symbols.  Many  were  the  pomps,  but  that  of  the 
warriors  surpassed  all  others.  Marching  in  col- 
umns of  thousands,  they  filled  the  streets  with 
flashing  arms  and  gorgeous  regalia,  roar  of  atta- 
bals  and  peals  of  minstrelsy. 

About  the  same  time  the  royal  palanquin  stood 
at  the  palace  portal,  engoldened,  jeweled,  and 
surmounted  with  a  panache  of  green  plumes. 
Cuitlahua,  Cacama,  Maxtla,  and  the  lords  of  Tla- 
copan,  Tepejaca,  and  Cholula,  with  other  nobles 
from  the  provinces  far  and  near,  were  collected 
about  it  in  waiting,  sporting  on  their  persons  the 
wealth  of  principalities.  When  the  monarch  came 
out,  they  knelt,  and  every  one  of  them  placed  his 
palm  on  the  ground  before  him.  On  the  last 
stone  at  the  portal  he  stopped,  and  raised  his  eyes 
to  the  sky.  A  piece  of  aguave,  fluttering  like  a 
leaf,  fell  so  near  him  that  he  reached  out  his  hand 
and  caught  it. 

"Read  it,  my  lords,"  he  said,  after  a  moment'? 
study. 

The  paper  contained  only  the  picture  of  an 
eagle  attacked  by  an  owl,  and  passed  from  hand 
to  hand.  Intent  on  deciphering  the  writing,  none 
thought  of  inquiring  whether  its  coming  was  of 
design  or  accident. 

"What  does  it  mean,  my  lord  Cacama  ? "  asked 
the  monarch  gravely. 


72  THE   FAIR   GOD 

Cacama's  eyes  dropped  as  he  replied,  — 

"  When  we  write  of  you,  O  king,  we  paint  an 
eagle ;  when  we  write  of  the  'tzin  Guatamo,  we 
paint  an  owl." 

"  What !  "  said  the  lord  Cuitlahua,  "  would  the 
'tzin  attack  his  king  ?  " 

And  the  monarch  looked  from  one  to  the  other 
strangely,  saying  only,  "  The  owl  is  the  device  on 
his  shield." 

Then  he  entered  the  palanquin  ;  whereupon 
some  of  the  nobles  lifted  it  on  their  shoulders, 
Jlnd  the  company,  in  procession,  set  out  for  the 
tiangues.  On  the  way  they  were  joined  by  Iz- 
tlil',  the  Tezcucan;  and  it  was  remarkable  that, 
of  them  all,  he  was  the  only  one  silent  about  the 
paper. 

The  Iztapalapan  street,  of  great  width,  and  on 
both  sides  lined  with  gardens,  palaces,  and  tem- 
ples, was  not  only  the  boast  of  Tenochtitlan  ;  its 
beauty  was  told  in  song  and  story  throughout  the 
Empire.  The  signal  of  assemblage  for  the  day's 
great  pastime  found  Xoli  and  his  provincial  friend 
lounging  along  the  broad  pave  of  the  beautiful 
thoroughfare.  They  at  once  started  for  the  tian- 
guez.  The  broker  was  fat,  and  it  was  trouble- 
some for  him  to  keep  pace  with  the  hunter  ;  nev- 
ertheless, they  overtook  a  party  of  tamanes  going 
in  the  same  direction,  and  bearing  a  palanquin 
richly  caparisoned.  The  slaves,  very  sumptu- 
ously clad,  proceeded  slowly  and  with  downcast 
eyes,  and  so  steadily  that  the  carriage  had  the 
onward,  gliding  motion  of  a  boat. 


GOING   TO   THE   COMBAT  73 

"  Lower,  —  down,  boy !  See  you  not  the  green 
panache  f  "  whispered  Xoli,  half  frightened. 

Too  late.  The  Chalcan,  even  as  he  whispered, 
touched  the  pavement,  but  Hualpa  remained 
erect :  not  only  that ;  he  looked  boldly  into  the 
eyes  of  the  occupants  of  the  palanquin,  —  two 
women,  whose  beauty  shone  upon  him  like  a 
sudden  light.  Then  he  bent  his  head,  and  his 
heart  closed  upon  the  recollection  of  what  he  saw 
so  that  it  never  escaped.  The  picture  was  of  a 
girl,  almost  a  woman,  laughing ;  opposite  her, 
and  rather  in  the  shade  of  the  fringed  curtain, 
one  older,  though  young,  and  grave  and  stately  ; 
her  hair  black,  her  face  oval,  her  eyes  large  and 
lustrous.  To  her  he  made  his  involuntary  obei- 
sance. Afterwards  she  reminded  many  a  Span- 
iard of  the  dark-eyed  hermosura  with  whom  he 
had  left  love-tokens  in  his  native  land. 

"  They  are  the  king's  daughters,  the  princesses 
Tula  and  Nenetzin,"  said  Xoli,  when  fairly  past 
the  carriage.  "And  as  you  have  just  come  up 
from  the  country,  listen.  Green  is  the  royal 
color,  and  belongs  to  the  king's  family ;  and  wher- 
ever met,  in  the  city  or  on  the  lake,  the  people 
salute  it.  Though  what  they  meet  be  but  a  green 
feather  in  a  slave's  hand,  they  salute.  Remem- 
ber the  lesson.  By  the  way,  the  gossips  say  that 
Guatamozin  will  marry  Tula,  the  eldest  one." 

"  She  is  very  beautiful,"  said  the  hunter,  as  to 
himself,  and  slackening  his  steps. 

"  Are  you  mad  ?  "  cried  the  broker,  seizing  his 
arm.  "  Would  you  bring  the  patrol  upon  us  ? 


74  THE   FAIR   GOD 

They  are  not  for  such  as  you.  Come  on.  It 
may  be  we  can  get  seats  to  see  the  king  and  his 
whole  household." 

At  the  entrance  to  the  arena  there  was  a  press 
which  the  police  could  hardly  control.  In  the 
midst  of  it,  Xoli  pulled  his  companion  to  one  side, 
saying,  "  The  king  comes !  Let  us  under  the 
staging  here  until  he  passes." 

They  found  themselves,  then,  close  by  the 
spears,  which,  planted  in  the  ground,  upheld  the 
shields  of  the  combatants ;  and  when  the  Tihuan- 
can  heard  the  people,  as  they  streamed  in,  cheer 
the  champions  of  the  god,  he  grieved  sorely  that 
he  was  not  one  of  them. 

The  heralds  then  came  up,  clearing  the  way ; 
and  all  thereabout  knelt,  and  so  received  the 
monarch.  He  stopped  to  inspect  the  shields  ; 
for  in  all  his  realm  there  was  not  one  better 
versed  in  its  heraldry.  A  diadem,  not  unlike  the 
papal  tiara,  crowned  his  head ;  his  tunic  and 
cloak  were  of  the  skins  of  green  hummingbirds 
brilliantly  iridescent ;  a  rope  of  pearls  large  as 
grapes  hung,  many  times  doubled,  from  his  neck 
down  over  his  breast ;  his  sandals  and  sandal- 
thongs  were  embossed  with  gold,  and  besides  an- 
klets of  massive  gold,  cuisJies  of  the  same  metal 
guarded  his  legs  from  knee  to  anklet.  Save  the 
transparent,  lustrous  gray  of  the  pearls,  his  dress 
was  of  the  two  colors,  green  and  yellow,  and  the 
effect  was  indescribably  royal ;  yet  all  the  bra- 
very of  his  trappings  could  not  hide  from  Hualpa, 
beholding  him  for  the  first  time,  that,  like  any 


GOING   TO   THE   COMBAT  75 

common  soul,  he  was  suffering  from  some  trouble 
of  mind. 

"So,  Cacama,"  he  said  pleasantly,  after  a  look 
at  the  gages,  "  your  brother  has  a  mind  to  make 
peace  with  the  gods.  It  is  well !  " 

And  thereupon  Iztlil'  himself  stepped  out  and 
knelt  before  him  in  battle  array,  the  javelin  in  his 
hand,  and  bow,  quiver,  and  maquahuitl  at  his 
back  ;  and  in  his  homage  the  floating  feathers  of 
his  helm  brushed  the  dust  from  the  royal  feet. 

"  It  is  well ! "  repeated  the  king,  smiling. 
"But,  son  of  my  friend,  where  are  your  com- 
rades ? " 

Tlahua,  the  Otompan,  and  the  young  Cholulan, 
equipped  like  Iztlil',  rendered  their  homage  also. 
Over  their  heads  he  extended  his  hands,  and  said 
softly,  "  They  who  love  the  gods,  the  gods  love. 
Put  your  trust  in  them,  O  my  children.  And 
upon  you  be  their  blessing  !  " 

And  already  he  had  passed  the  spears :  one 
gage  was  forgotten,  one  combatant  unblessed. 
Suddenly  he  looked  back. 

"Whose  shield  is  that,  my  lords  ?  " 

All  eyes  rested  upon  the  plain  gage,  but  no  one 
replied. 

"  Who  is  he  that  thus  mocks  the  holy  cause  of 
Quetzal'  ?  Go,  Maxtla,  and  bring  him  to  me ! " 

Then  outspake  Iztlil',  — 

"  The  shield  is  Guatamozin's.  Last  night  he 
challenged  me  to  this  combat,  and  he  is  not  here. 
O  king,  the  owl  may  be  looking  for  the  eagle." 

A  moment  the  sadly  serene  countenance  of  the 


76  THE    FAIR   GOD 

monarch  knit  and  flushed  as  from  a  passing  pain ; 
a  moment  he  regarded  the  Tezcucan.  Then  he 
turned  to  the  shields  of  the  Othmies  and  Tlas- 
calans. 

"  They  are  a  sturdy  foe,  and  I  warrant  will  fight 
hard,"  he  said  quietly.  "But  such  victims  are 
the  delight  of  the  gods.  Fail  me  not,  O  chil- 
dren !  " 

When  the  Tihuancan  and  his  chaperone 
climbed  half  way  to  the  upper  row  of  seats,  in  the 
quarter  assigned  to  the  people,  the  former  was 
amazed.  He  looked  down  on  a  circular  arena, 
strewn  with  white  sand  from  the  lake,  and  large 
enough  for  manoeuvring  half  a  thousand  men. 
It  was  bounded  by  a  rope,  outside  of  which  was  a 
broad  margin  crowded  with  rank  on  rank  of  com- 
mon soldiery,  whose  shields  were  arranged  before 
them  like  a  wall  impervious  to  a  glancing  arrow. 
Back  from  the  arena  extended  the  staging,  rising 
gradually  seat  above  seat,  platform  above  plat- 
form, until  the  whole  area  of  the  tianguez  was 
occupied. 

"  Is  the  king  a  magician,  that  he  can  do  this 
thing  in  a  single  night  ? "  asked  Hualpa. 

Xoli  laughed.  "He  has  done  many  things 
much  greater.  The  timbers  you  see  were  wrought 
long  ago,  and  have  been  lying  in  the  temples  ; 
the  tamanes  had  only  to  bring  them  out  and  put 
them  together." 

In  the  east  there  was  a  platform,  carpeted,  fur- 
nished with  lounges,  and  protected  from  the  sun 
by  a  red  canopy ;  broad  passages  of  entrance  sep- 


GOING  TO   THE   COMBAT  77 

arated  it  from  the  ruder  structure  erected  for  the 
commonalty  ;  it  was  also  the  highest  of  the  plat- 
forms, so  that  its  occupants  could  overlook  the 
whole  amphitheatre.  This  lordlier  preparation 
belonged  to  the  king,  his  household  and  nobles. 
So,  besides  his  wives  and  daughters,  under  the 
red  canopy  sat  the  three  hundred  women  of  his 
harem,  —  soft  testimony  that  Orientalism  dwelt 
not  alone  in  the  sky  and  palm-trees  of  the  valley. 

As  remarked,  the  margin  around  the  arena 
belonged  to  the  soldiery  ;  the  citizens  had  seats 
in  the  north  and  south ;  while  the  priesthood,  su- 
perior to  either  of  them  in  sanctity  of  character, 
sat  aloof  in  the  west,  also  screened  by  a  canopy. 
And,  as  the  celebration  was  regarded  in  the  light 
of  a  religious  exercise,  not  only  did  women  crowd 
the  place,  but  mothers  brought  their  children, 
that,  from  the  examples  of  the  arena,  they  might 
learn  to  be  warriors. 

Upon  the  appearance  of  the  monarch  there  was 
a  perfect  calm.  Standing  a  while  by  his  couch,  he 
looked  over  the  scene ;  and  not  often  has  royal 
vision  been  better  filled  with  all  that  constitutes 
royalty.  Opposite  him  he  saw  the  servitors  of 
his  religion  ;  at  his  feet  were  his  warriors  and  peo- 
ple almost  innumerable.  When,  at  last,  the  min- 
strels of  the  soldiery  poured  their  wild  music  over 
the  theatre,  he  thrilled  with  the  ecstasy  of  power. 

The  champions  for  the  god  then  came  in ;  and 
as  they  strode  across  to  the  western  side  of  the 
arena  the  air  was  filled  with  plaudits  and  flying 
garlands;  but  hardly  was  the  welcome  ended 


78  THE   FAIR   GOD 

before  there  was  a  great  hum  and  stir,  as  the 
spectators  asked  each  other  why  the  fourth  com- 
batant came  not  with  the  others. 

"  The  one  with  the  bright  panache,  asked  you  ? 
That  is  Iztlil',  the  Tezcucan,"  said  Xoli. 

"  Is  he  not  too  fine  ? " 

"  No.  Only  think  of  the  friends  the  glitter  has 
made  him  among  the  women  and  children." 

The  Chalcan  laughed  heartily  at  the  cynicism. 

"And  the  broad-shouldered  fellow  now  fixing 
the  thongs  of  his  shield  ?  " 

"  The  Otompan,  —  a  good  warrior.  They  say 
he  goes  to  battle  with  the  will  a  girl  goes  to  a 
feast.  The  other  is  the  Cholulan;  he  has  his 
renown  to  win,  and  is  too  young." 

"But  he  may  have  other  qualities,"  suggested 
Hualpa.  "  I  have  heard  it  said  that,  in  a  battle 
of  arrows,  a  quick  eye  is  better  than  a  strong 
arm." 

The  broker  yawned.  "  Well,  I  like  not  those 
Cholulans.  They  are  proud ;  they  scorn  the 
other  nations,  even  the  Aztecs.  Probably  it  is 
well  they  are  better  priests  than  soldiers.  Under 
the  red  canopy  yonder  I  see  his  father." 

"  Listen,  good  Xoli.  I  hear  the  people  talking 
about  the  'tzin  ?  Where  can  he  be  ?  " 

Just  then  within  the  wall  of  shields  there  came 
a  warrior,  who  strode  swiftly  toward  the  solitary 
gage.  His  array  was  less  splendid  than  his  com- 
rades' ;  his  helm  was  of  plain  leather  without 
ornament ;  his  escaupil  was  secured  by  a  simple 
loop  :  yet  the  people  knew  him,  and  shouted ;  and 


GOING   TO   THE    COMBAT  79 

when  he  took  down  the  plain  shield  and  fixed  it 
to  his  arm,  the  approbation  of  the  common  sol' 
diery  arose  like  a  storm.  As  they  bore  such 
shields  to  battle,  he  became,  as  it  were,  their 
peculiar  representative.  It  was  Guatamozin. 

And  under  the  royal  canopy  there  was  rapid 
exchange  of  whispers  and  looks ;  every  mind  re- 
verted to  the  paper  dropped  so  mysteriously  into 
the  king's  hand  at  the  palace  door  ;  and  some 
there  were,  acuter  than  the  rest,  who  saw  cor- 
roboration  of  the  meaning  given  the  writing  in 
the  fact  that  the  shield  the  'tzin  now  chose  was 
without  the  owl,  his  usual  device.  Whether  the 
monarch  himself  was  one  of  them  might  not  be 
said  ;  his  face  was  as  impassive  as  bronze. 

Next,  the  Othmies  and  Tlascalans,  dignified 
into  common  challengers  of  the  proudest  chiefs 
of  Tenochtitlan,  were  conducted  into  the  arena 

The  Tlascalans  were  strong  men  used  to  bat- 
tle ;  and  though,  like  their  companions  in  danger, 
at  first  bewildered  by  the  sudden  introduction  to 
so  vast  a  multitude,  they  became  quickly  inured 
to  the  situation.  Of  the  Othmies,  a  more  promis- 
ing pair  of  gladiators  never  exhibited  before  a 
Roman  audience.  The  father  was  past  the  prime 
of  life,  but  erect,  broad-shouldered,  and  of  unusual 
dignity  ;  the  son  was  slighter,  and  not  so  tall,  but 
his  limbs  were  round  and  beautiful,  and  he  looked 
as  if  he  might  outleap  an  antelope.  The  people 
were  delighted,  and  cheered  the  challengers  with 
scarcely  less  heartiness  than  their  own  champions. 
Still,  the  younger  Othmi  appeared  hesitant,  and, 


8o  THE   FAIR  GOD 

when  the  clamor  somewhat  abated,  the  sire 
touched  him,  and  said,  — 

"  Does  my  boy  dream  ?  What  voice  is  in  his 
ear  that  his  heart  is  so  melted?  Awake!  the 
shield  is  on  the  arm  of  the  foe." 

The  young  man  aroused.  "  I  saw  the  sun  on 
the  green  hills  of  Othmi.  But  see!"  he  said 
proudly  and  with  flashing  eyes,  "there  is  no 
weakness  in  the  dreamer's  arm."  And  with  the 
words,  he  seized  a  bow  at  his  feet,  fitted  an  arrow 
upon  the  cord,  and,  drawing  full  to  the  head,  sent 
it  cleaving  the  sunshine  far  above  them.  Every 
eye  followed  its  flight  but  his  own.  "The  arm,  O 
chief,  is  not  stronger  than  the  heart,"  he  added, 
carelessly  dropping  the  bow. 

The  old  warrior  gazed  at  him  tenderly  ;  but  as 
that  was  no  time  for  the  indulgence  of  affection, 
he  turned  to  the  Tlascalans  and  said,  "  We  must 
be  ready :  let  us  arm." 

Each  donned  a  leathern  helm,  and  wrapped 
himself  in  a  quilted  esc&upU ;  each  buckled  the 
shield  on  his  arm,  and  tightened  the  thongs  of  his 
sandals.  Their  arms  lay  at  hand. 

Such  were  the  preparations  for  the  combat, 
such  the  combatants.  And  as  the  foemen  faced 
each  other,  awaiting  the  signal  for  the  mortal 
strife,  I  fancy  no  Christian  has  seen  anything 
more  beautiful  than  the  theatre.  Among  the 
faces  the  gaze  swam  as  in  a  sea ;  the  gleaming  of 
arms  and  ornaments  was  bewildering  ;  while  the 
diversity  of  colors  in  the  costumes  of  the  vast 
audience  was  without  comparison.  With  the  ex- 


GOING  TO  THE   COMBAT  Si 

ception  of  the  arena,  the  royal  platform  was  the 
cynosure.  Behind  the  king,  with  a  shield  faced 
with  silver,  stood  Maxtla,  vigilant  against  treach- 
ery or  despair.  The  array  of  nobles  about  the 
couch  was  imperial ;  and  what  with  them,  and  the 
dark-eyed  beauties  of  his  household,  and  the  can- 
opy tingeing  the  air  and  softly  undulating  above 
him,  and  the  mighty  congregation  of  subjects  at 
his  feet,  it  was  with  Montezuma  like  a  revival  of 
the  glory  of  the  Hystaspes.  Yet  the  presence 
of  his  power  but  increased  his  gloom  ;  in  a  short 
time  he  heard  no  music  and  saw  no  splendor ; 
everything  reminded  him  of  the  last  picture  on 
the  western  wall  of  the  golden  chamber. 


XI 


THE    COMBAT 


HE  champions  for  the  god 
drew  themselves  up  in  the 
west,  while  their  challengers 
occupied  the  east  of  the 
arena.  This  position  of  par- 
ties was  the  subject  of  much 
speculation  with  the  spectators,  who  saw  it  might 


THE  COMBAT  83 

prove  a  point  of  great  importance  if  the  engage- 
ment assumed  the  form  of  single  combats. 

Considering  age  and  appearance,  the  Tlasca- 
lans  were  adjudged  most  dangerous  of  the  chal- 
lengers, —  a  palm  readily  awarded  to  the  Tezcu- 
can  and  the  'tzin  on  their  side.  The  common 
opinion  held  also,  that  the  Cholulan,  the  youngest 
and  least  experienced  of  the  Aztecs,  should  have 
been  the  antagonist  of  the  elder  Othmi,  whose 
vigor  was  presumed  to  be  affected  by  his  age ; 
as  it  was,  that  combat  belonged  to  Tlahua,  the 
Otompan,  while  the  younger  Othmi  confronted 
the  Cholulan. 

And  now  the  theatre  grew  profoundly  still  with 
expectancy. 

"  The  day  grows  old.  Let  the  signal  be  given." 
And  so  saying,  the  king  waved  his  hand,  and 
sank  indolently  back  upon  his  couch. 

A  moment  after  there  was  a  burst  of  martial 
symphony,  and  the  combat  began. 

It  was  opened  with  arrows  ;  and  to  determine, 
if  possible,  the  comparative  skill  of  the  com- 
batants, the  spectators  watched  the  commence- 
ment with  closest  attention.  The  younger  Othmi 
sent  his  missile  straight  into  the  shield  of  the 
Cholulan,  who,  from  precipitation  probably,  was 
not  so  successful.  The  elder  Othmi  and  his 
antagonist  each  planted  his  arrow  fairly,  as  did 
Iztlil'  and  the  Tlascalans.  But  a  great  outcry  of 
applause  attended  Guatamozin,  when  his  bolt, 
flying  across  the  space,  buried  its  barb  in  the 
crest  of  his  adversary.  A  score  of  feathers,  shorn 
away,  floated  slowly  to  the  sand. 


84  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"  It  was  well  done ;  by  Our  Mother,  it  was  well 
done  ! "  murmured  Hualpa. 

"  Wait ! "  said  the  Chalcan  patronizingly. 
"Wait  till  they  come  to  the  maguafcuitlf" 

Quite  a  number  of  arrows  were  thus  inter- 
changed by  the  parties  without  effect,  as  they 
were  always  dexterously  intercepted.  The  pas- 
sage was  but  the  preluding  skirmish,  partici- 
pated in  by  all  but  the  'tzin,  who,  after  his  first 
shot,  stood  a  little  apart  from  his  comrades,  and, 
resting  his  long  bow  on  the  ground,  watched  the 
trial  with  apparent  indifference.  Like  the  Chal- 
can, he  seemed  to  regard  it  as  play  ;  and  the 
populace  after  a  while  fell  into  the  same  opin- 
ion :  there  was  not  enough  danger  to  fully  inter- 
est them.  So  there  began  to  arise  murmurs  and 
cries,  which  the  Cholulan  was  the  first  to  observe 
and  interpret.  Under  an  impulse  which  had  rela- 
tion, probably,  to  his  first  failure,  he  resolved  to 
avail  himself  of  the  growing  feeling.  Throwing 
down  his  bow,  he  seized  the  maquahuitl  at  his 
back,  and,  without  a  word  to  his  friends,  started 
impetuously  across  the  arena.  The  peril  was 
great,  for  every  foeman  at  once  turned  his 
arrow  against  him. 

Then  the  'tzin  stirred  himself.  "The  boy  is 
mad,  and  will  die  if  we  do  not  go  with  him," 
he  said  ;  and  already  his  foot  was  advanced  to 
follow,  when  the  young  Othmi  sprang  forward 
from  the  other  side  to  meet  the  Cholulan. 

The  eagerness  lest  an  incident  should  be  lost 
became  intense  ;  even  the  king  sat  up  to  see  the 


THE   COMBAT  85 

duel.  The  theatre  rang  with  cries  of  encourage- 
ment, —  none,  however,  so  cheery  as  that  of  the 
elder  Othmi,  whose  feelings  of  paternity  were, 
for  the  moment,  lost  in  his  passion  of  warrior. 

"  On,  boy !  Remember  the  green  hills,  and  the 
hammock  by  the  stream.  Strike  hard,  strike 
hard  !  " 

The  combatants  were  apparently  well  matched, 
being  about  equal  in  height  and  age  ;  both  bran- 
dished the  maquakuitl,  the  deadliest  weapon 
known  to  their  wars.  Wielded  by  both  hands 
and  swung  high  above  the  head,  its  blades  of  glass 
generally  clove  their  way  to  the  life.  About  mid- 
way the  arena  the  foemen  met.  At  the  instant 
of  contact  the  Cholulan  brought  a  downward 
blow,  well  aimed,  at  the  head  of  his  antagonist ; 
but  the  lithe  Othmi,  though  at  full  speed,  swerved 
like  a  bird  on  the  wing.  A  great  shout  attested 
the  appreciation  of  the  audience.  The  Cholulan 
wheeled,  with  his  weapon  uplifted  for  another 
blow  ;  the  action  called  his  left  arm  into  play, 
and  drew  his  shield  from  its  guard.  The  Othmi 
saw  the  advantage.  One  step  he  took  nearer, 
and  then,  with  a  sweep  of  his  arm  and  an  upward 
stroke,  he  drove  every  blade  deep  into  the  side 
of  his  enemy.  The  lifted  weapon  dropped  in  its 
half-finished  circle,  the  shield  flew  wildly  up,  and, 
with  a  groan,  the  victim  fell  heavily  to  the  sand, 
struggled  once  to  rise,  fell  back  again,  and  his 
battles  were  ended  forever.  A  cry  of  anguish 
went  out  from  under  the  royal  canopy. 

"Hark!"  cried  Xoli.     " Did  you  hear  the  old 


86  THE   FAIR   GOD 

Cholulan  ?  See  !  They  are  leading  him  from  the 
platform ! " 

Except  that  cry,  however,  not  a  voice  was 
heard ;  from  rising  apprehension  as  to  the  result 
of  the  combat,  or  touched  by  a  passing  sympathy 
for  the  early  death,  the  multitude  was  perfectly 
hushed. 

"  That  was  a  brave  blow,  Xoli ;  but  let  him 
beware  now  !  "  said  Hualpa  excitedly. 

And  in  expectation  of  instant  vengeance,  all 
eyes  watched  the  Othmi.  Around  the  arena  he 
glanced,  then  back  to  his  friends.  Retreat  would 
forfeit  the  honor  gained  :  death  was  preferable. 
So  he  knelt  upon  the  breast  of  his  enemy,  and, 
setting  his  shield  before  him,  waited  sternly  and 
in  silence  the  result.  And  Iztlil'  and  Tlahua 
launched  their  arrows  at  him  in  quick  succession, 
but  Guatamozin  was  as  indifferent  as  ever. 

"  What  ails  the  'tzin  ?  "  said  Maxtla  to  the  king. 
"  The  Othmi  is  at  his  mercy." 

The  monarch  deigned  no  reply. 

The  spirit  of  the  old  Othmi  rose.  On  the  sand 
behind  him,  prepared  for  service,  was  a  dart  with 
three  points  of  copper,  and  a  long  cord  by  which 
to  recover  it  when  once  thrown.  Catching  the 
weapon  up,  and  shouting,  "  I  am  coming,  I  am 
coming!"  he  ran  to  avert  or  share  the  danger. 
The  space  to  be  crossed  was  inconsiderable,  yet 
such  his  animation  that,  as  he  ran,  he  poised 
the  dart,  and  exposed  his  hand  above  the  shield. 
The  'tzin  raised  his  bow,  and  let  the  arrow  fly. 
It  struck  right  amongst  the  supple  joints  of  the 


THE  COMBAT  87 

veteran's  wrist.  The  unhappy  man  stopped  be- 
wildered ;  over  the  theatre  he  looked,  then  at 
the  wound ;  in  despair  he  tore  the  shaft  out  with 
his  teeth,  and  rushed  on  till  he  reached  the  boy. 

The  outburst  of  acclamation  shook  the  theatre. 

"  To  have  seen  such  archery,  Xoli,  were  worth 
all  the  years  of  a  hunter's  life  !  "  said  Hualpa. 

The  Chalcan  smiled  like  a  connoisseur,  and 
replied,  "  It  is  nothing.  Wait !  " 

And  now  the  combat  again  presented  a  show 
of  equality.  The  advantage,  if  there  was  any, 
was  thought  to  be  with  the  Aztecs,  since  the  loss 
of  the  Cholulan  was  not  to  be  weighed  against 
the  disability  of  the  Othmi.  Thus  the  populace 
were  released  from  apprehension,  without  any 
abatement  of  interest ;  indeed,  the  excitement 
increased,  for  there  was  a  promise  of  change  in 
the  character  of  the  contest ;  from  quiet  archery 
was  growing  bloody  action. 

The  Tlascalans,  alive  to  the  necessity  of  sup- 
porting their  friends,  advanced  to  where  the 
Cholulan  lay,  but  more  cautiously.  When  they 
were  come  up,  the  Othmies  both  arose,  and 
calmly  perfected  the  front.  The  astonishment  at 
this  was  very  great. 

"Brave  fellow!  He  is  worth  ten  live  Cholu- 
lans  !  "  said  Xoli.  "  But  now  look,  boy  !  The 
challengers  have  advanced  half  way  ;  the  Aztecs 
must  meet  them." 

The  conjecture  was  speedily  verified.  Iztlil' 
had,  in  fact,  ill  brooked  the  superior  skill,  or 
better  fortune,  of  the  'tzin  ;  the  applause  of  the 


88  THE   FAIR   GOD 

populace  had  been  worse  than  wounds  to  his 
jealous  heart.  Till  this  time,  however,  he  had 
restrained  his  passion  ;  now  the  foe  were  ranged 
as  if  challenging  attack :  he  threw  away  his  use- 
less bow,  and  laid  his  hand  on  his  maquaJiuitl. 

"  It  is  not  for  an  Aztec  god  that  we  are  fight- 
ing, O  comrade  !  "  he  cried  to  Tlahua.  "  It  is  for 
ourselves.  Come,  let  us  show  yon  king  a  better 
war ! " 

And  without  waiting,  he  set  on.  The  Otom- 
pan  followed,  leaving  the  'tzin  alone.  The  call 
had  not  been  to  him,  and  as  he  was  fighting 
for  the  god,  and  the  Tezcucan  for  himself,  he 
merely  placed  another  arrow  on  his  bow,  and  ob- 
served the  attack. 

Leaving  the  Otompan  to  engage  the  Othmies, 
the  fierce  Tezcucan  assaulted  the  Tlascalans,  an 
encounter  in  which  there  was  no  equality ;  but 
the  eyes  of  Tenochtitlan  were  upon  him,  and  at 
his  back  was  a  hated  rival.  His  antagonists  each 
sent  an  arrow  to  meet  him ;  but,  as  he  skillfully 
caught  them  on  his  shield,  they,  too,  betook 
themselves  to  the  maqualmitl.  Right  on  he  kept, 
until  his  shield  struck  theirs  ;  it  was  gallantly 
done,  and  won  a  furious  outburst  from  the  people. 
Again  Montezuma  sat  up,  momentarily  animated. 

"Ah,  my  lord  Cacama ! "  he  said,  "if  your 
brother's  love  were  but  equal  to  his  courage,  I 
would  give  him  an  army." 

"All  the  gods  forfend ! "  replied  the  jealous 
prince.  "The  viper  would  recover  his  fangs." 

The  speed  with  which  he  went  was  all  that 


THE   COMBAT  89 

saved  Iztlil'  from  the  blades  of  the  Tlascalans. 
Striking  no  blow  himself,  he  strove  to  make  way 
between  them,  and  get  behind,  so  that,  facing 
about  to  repel  his  returning  onset,  their  backs 
would  be  to  the  'tzin.  But  they  were  wary,  and 
did  not  yield.  As  they  pushed  against  him,  one, 
dropping  his  more  cumbrous  weapon,  struck  him 
in  the  breast  with  a  copper  knife.  The  blow  was 
distinctly  seen  by  the  spectators. 

Hualpa  started  from  his  seat.  "He  has  it; 
they  will  finish  him  now  !  No,  he  recovers.  Our 
Mother,  what  a  blow  !  " 

The  Tezcucan  disengaged  himself,  and,  mad- 
dened by  the  blood  that  began  to  flow  down  his 
quilted  armor,  assaulted  furiously.  He  was 
strong,  quick  of  eye,  and  skillful ;  the  blades  of 
his  weapon  gleamed  in  circles  around  his  head, 
and  resounded  against  the  shields.  At  length  a 
desperate  blow  beat  down  the  guard  of  one  of 
the  Tlascalans  ;  ere  it  could  be  recovered,  or  Iz- 
tlil' avail  himself  of  the  advantage,  there  came  a 
sharp  whirring  through  the  air,  and  an  arrow 
from  the  'tzin  pierced  to  the  warrior's  heart. 
Up  he  leaped,  dead  before  he  touched  the  sand. 
Again  Iztlil'  heard  the  acclamation  of  his  rival. 
Without  a  pause,  he  rushed  upon  the  surviving 
Tlascalan,  as  if  to  bear  him  down  by  stormy  dint. 

Meantime,  the  combat  of  Tlahua,  the  Otompan, 
was  not  without  its  difficulties,  since  it  was  not 
singly  with  the  young  Othmi. 

"  Mictlan  take  the  old  man!"  cried  the  lord 
Cuitlahua,  bending  from  his  seat.  "  I  thought 


QO  THE   FAIR   GOD 

him  done  for ;  but,  see !  he  defends,  the  other 
fights." 

And  so  it  was.  The  Otompan  struck  hard,  but 
was  distracted  by  the  tactics  of  his  foemen :  if  he 
aimed  at  the  younger,  both  their  shields  warded 
the  blow  ;  if  he  assaulted  the  elder,  he  was  in 
turn  attacked  by  the  younger ;  and  so,  without 
advantage  to  either,  their  strife  continued  until 
the  fall  of  the  Tlascalan.  Then,  inspired  by 
despairing  valor,  the  boy  threw  down  his  maqna- 
huitl,  and  endeavored  to  push  aside  the  Otom- 
pan's  shield.  Once  within  its  guard,  the  knife 
would  finish  the  contest.  Tlahua  retreated  ;  but 
the  foe  clung  to  him,  —  one  wrenching  at  his 
shield,  the  other  intercepting  his  blows,  and 
both  carefully  avoiding  the  deadly  archery  of  the 
'tzin,  who,  seeing  the  extremity  of  the  danger, 
started  to  the  rescue.  All  the  people  shouted, 
"The  'tzin,  the  'tzin  !"  Xoli  burst  into  ecstasy, 
and  clapped  his  hands.  "  There  he  goes  !  Now 
look  for  something  !  " 

The  rescuer  went  as  a  swift  wind ;  but  the 
clamor  had  been  a  warning  to  the  young  Othmi. 
By  a  great  effort  he  tore  away  the  Otompan' s 
shield.  In  vain  the  latter  struggled.  There  was 
a  flash,  sharp,  vivid,  like  the  sparkle  of  the  sun 
upon  restless  waters.  Then  his  head  drooped 
forward,  and  he  staggered  blindly.  Once  only 
the  death-stroke  was  repeated ;  and  so  still  was 
the  multitude  that  the  dull  sound  of  the  knife 
driving  home  was  heard.  The  'tzin  was  too  late. 

The  prospect  for  the  Aztecs  was  now  gloomy. 


THE  COMBAT  91 

The  Cholulan  and  Otompan  were  dead ;  the 
Tezcucan,  wounded  and  bleeding,  was  engaged 
in  a  doubtful  struggle  with  the  Tlascalan  ;  the 
'tzin  was  the  last  hope  of  his  party.  Upon  him 
devolved  the  fight  with  the  Othmies.  In  the 
interest  thus  excited  Iztlil's  battle  was  forgotten. 

Twice  had  the  younger  Othmi  been  victor,  and 
still  he  was  scathless.  Instead  of  the  maqua- 
Jiuitl)  he  was  now  armed  with  the  javelin,  which, 
while  effective  as  a  dart,  was  excellent  to  repel 
assault. 

From  the  crowded  seats  of  the  theatre  not  a 
sound  was  heard.  At  no  time  had  the  excitement 
risen  to  such  a  pitch.  Breathless  and  motionless, 
the  spectators  awaited  the  advance  of  the  'tzin. 
He  was,  as  I  have  said,  a  general  favorite,  be- 
loved by  priest  and  citizen,  and  with  the  wild 
soldiery  an  object  of  rude  idolatry.  And  if  under 
the  royal  canopy  there  were  eyes  that  looked 
not  lovingly  upon  him,  there  were  lips  there  mur- 
muring soft  words  of  prayer  for  his  success. 

When  within  a  few  steps  of  the  waiting  Oth- 
mies, he  halted.  They  glared  at  him  an  instant 
in  silence  ;  then  the  old  chief  said  tauntingly, 
and  loud  enough  to  be  heard  above  the  noise  of 
the  conflict  at  his  side,  — 

"  A  woman  may  wield  a  bow,  and  from  a  dis- 
tance slay  a  warrior ;  but  the  maquahuitl'is  heavy 
in  the  hand  of  the  coward,  looking  in  the  face  of 
his  foeman." 

The  Aztec  made  no  answer ;  he  was  familiar 
with  the  wile.  Looking  at  the  speaker  as  if 


92  THE   FAIR    GOD 

against  him  he  intended  his  first  attack,  with 
right  hand  back  he  swung  the  heavy  weapon 
above  his  shoulder  till  it  sung  in  quickening 
circles ;  when  its  force  was  fully  collected,  he 
suddenly  hurled  it  from  him.  The  old  Othmi 
crouched  low  behind  his  shield :  but  his  was 
not  the  form  in  the  'tzin's  eyes ;  for  right  in 
the  centre  of  the  young  victor's  guard  the  flying 
danger  struck.  Nor  arm  nor  shield  might  bar 
its  way.  The  boy  was  lifted  'sheer  above  the 
body  of  the  Otompan,  and  driven  backward  as  if 
shot  from  a  catapult. 

Guatamozin  advanced  no  farther.  A  thrust  of 
his  javelin  would  have  disposed  of  the  old  Othmi, 
now  unarmed  and  helpless.  The  acclamation  of 
the  audience,  in  which  was  blent  the  shrill  voices 
of  women,  failed  to  arouse  his  passion. 

The  sturdy  chief  arose  from  his  crouching ;  he 
looked  for  the  boy  to  whom  he  had  so  lately 
spoken  of  home  ;  he  saw  him  lying  outstretched, 
his  face  in  the  sand,  and  his  shield,  so  often 
bound  with  wreaths  and  garlands,  twain-broken 
beneath  him  ;  and  his  will,  that  in  the  fight  had 
been  tougher  than  the  gold  of  his  bracelets,  gave 
way ;  forgetful  of  all  else,  he  ran,  and,  with  a 
great  cry,  threw  himself  upon  the  body. 

The  Chalcan  was  as  exultant  as  if  the  achieve- 
ment had  been  his  own.  Even  the  prouder  souls 
under  the  red  canopy  yielded  their  tardy  praise  ; 
only  the  king  was  silent. 

As  none  now  remained  of  the  challengers  but 
the  Tlascalan  occupied  with  Iztlil',  — none  whom 


THE  COMBAT  93 

he  might  in  honor  engage,  —  Guatamozin  moved 
away  from  the  Othmies ;  and  as  he  went,  once  he 
allowed  his  glance  to  wander  to  the  royal  plat- 
form, but  with  thought  of  love,  not  wrong. 

The  attention  of  the  people  was  again  directed 
to  the  combat  of  the  Tezcucan.  The  death  of 
his  comrades  nowise  daunted  the  Tlascalan  ;  he 
rather  struck  the  harder  for  revenge ;  his  shield 
was  racked,  the  feathers  in  his  crest  torn  away, 
while  the  blades  were  red  with  his  blood.  Still  it 
fared  but  ill  with  Iztlil'  fighting  for  himself.  His 
wound  in  the  breast  bled  freely,  and  his  equip- 
ments were  in  no  better  plight  than  his  antago- 
nist's. The  struggle  was  that  of  the  hewing  and 
hacking  which,  whether  giving  or  taking,  soon 
exhausts  the  strongest  frame.  At  last,  faint  with 
loss  of  blood,  he  went  down.  The  Tlascalan 
attempted  to  strike  a  final  blow,  but  darkness 
rushed  upon  him  ;  he  staggered,  the  blades  sunk 
into  the  sand,  and  he  rolled  beside  his  enemy. 

With  that  the  combat  was  done.  The  challen- 
gers might  not  behold  their  "  land  of  bread " 
again  ;  nevermore  for  them  was  hammock  by  the 
stream  or  echo  of  tambour  amongst  the  hills. 

And  all  the  multitude  arose  and  gave  way  to 
their  rejoicing ;  they  embraced  each  other,  and 
shouted  and  sang ;  the  pabas  waved  their  ensigns, 
and  the  soldiers  saluted  with  voice  and  pealing 
shells  ;  and  up  to  the  sun  ascended  the  name  of 
Quetzal'  with  form  and  circumstance  to  soften 
the  mood  of  the  most  demanding  god ;  but  all  the 
time  the  audience  saw  only  the  fortunate  hero, 


94  THE   FAIR   GOD 

standing  so  calmly  before  them,  the  dead  at  his 
feet,  and  the  golden  light  about  him. 

And  the  king  was  happy  as  the  rest,  and  talked 
gayly,  caring  little  for  the  living  or  the  dead. 
The  combat  was  over,  and  Quetzal'  not  come. 
Mualox  was  a  madman,  not  a  prophet ;  the  Aztecs 
had  won,  and  the  god  was  propitiated :  so  the 
questioner  of  the  Morning  flattered  himself ! 

"  If  the  Othmi  cannot  fight,  he  can  serve  for 
sacrifice.  Let  him  be  removed.  And  the  dead  — 
But  hold !  "  he  cried,  and  his  cheeks  blanched 
with  mortal  pallor.  "  Who  comes  yonder  ?  Look 
to  the  arena,  —  nay,  to  the  people !  By  my  fa- 
ther's ashes,  the  paba  shall  perish  !  White  hairs 
and  prophet's  gifts  shall  not  save  him." 

While  the  king  was  speaking,  Mualox,  the 
keeper  of  the  temple,  rushed  within  the  wall  of 
shields.  His  dress  was  disordered,  and  he  was 
bareheaded  and  unsandaled.  Over  his  shoulders 
and  down  his  breast  flowed  his  hair  and  beard, 
tangled  and  unkempt,  wavy  as  a  billow  and  white 
as  the  foam.  Excitement  flashed  from  every  fea- 
ture ;  and  far  as  his  vision  ranged,  —  in  every 
quarter,  on  every  platform,  —  in  the  blood  of 
others  he  kindled  his  own  unwonted  passion. 


XII 


MUALOX   AND     HIS    WORLD 

UALOX,  after  the  departure  of 
the  king  and  'tzin,  ascended  the 
tower  of  the  old  Cu,  and  re- 
mained there  all  night,  stooped 
beside  the  sacred  fire,  sorrowing 
and  dreaming,  hearkening  to  the  voices  of 
the  city,  or  watching  the  mild-eyed  stars. 
So  the  morning  found  him.  He,  too,  be- 
held the  coming  of  the  sun,  and  trembled 
when  the  Smoking  Hill  sent  up  its  cloud. 
Then  he  heaped  fresh  fagots  on  the  dying 
fire,  and  went  down  to  the  courtyard.  It 
was  the  hour  when  in  all  the  other  temples  wor- 
shipers came  to  pray. 

He  took  a  lighted  lamp  from  a  table  in  his  cell, 
and  followed  a  passage  on  deeper  into  the  build- 
ing. The  way,  like  that  to  the  golden  chamber, 
was  intricate  and  bewildering.  Before  a  door  at 


96  THE   FAIR   GOD 

the  foot  of  a  flight  of  steps  he  stopped.  A  num- 
ber of  earthen  jars  and  ovens  stood  near  ;  while 
from  the  room  to  which  the  door  gave  entrance 
there  came  a  strong,  savory  perfume,  very  grate- 
ful to  the  sense  of  a  hungry  man.  Here  was  the 
kitchen  of  the  ancient  house.  The  paba  went  in. 

This  was  on  a  level  with  the  water  of  the  canal 
at  the  south  base  ;  and  when  the  good  man  came 
out,  and  descended  another  stairway,  he  was  in 
a  hall,  which,  though  below  the  canal,  was  dusty 
and  perfectly  dry.  Down  the  hall  farther  he 
came  to  a  doorway  in  the  floor,  or  rather  an  aper- 
ture, which  had  at  one  time  been  covered  and 
hidden  by  a  ponderous  flagstone  yet  lying  close 
by.  A  rope  ladder  was  coiled  up  on  the  stone. 
Flinging  the  ladder  through  the  door,  he  heard  it 
rattle  on  the  floor  beneath  ;  then  he  stooped,  and 
called,  - 

"Tecetl,  Tecetl!" 

No  one  replied.     He  repeated  the  call. 

"  Poor  child !  She  is  asleep,"  he  said,  in  a  low 
voice.  "  I  will  go  down  without  her." 

Leaving  the  lamp  above,  he  committed  himself 
to  the  unsteady  rope,  like  one  accustomed  to  it. 
Below  all  was  darkness  ;  but,  pushing  boldly  on, 
he  suddenly  flung  aside  a  curtain  which  had  small 
silver  bells  in  the  fringing  ;  and,  ushered  by  the 
tiny  ringing,  he  stepped  into  a  chamber  lighted 
and  full  of  beauty,  —  a  grotto  carven  with  in- 
finite labor  from  the  bed-rock  of  the  lake. 

And  here,  in  the  day  mourned  by  the  paba, 
when  the  temple  was  honored,  and  its  god  had 


MUALOX   AND    HIS   WORLD  97 

worshipers,  and  the  name  of  Quetzal'  was  second 
to  no  other,  not  even  Huitzil's,  must  have  been 
held  the  secret  conclaves  of  the  priesthood,  —  so 
great  were  the  dimensions  of  the  chamber,  and 
so  far  was  it  below  the  roll  of  waters.  But  now  it 
might  be  a  place  for  dwelling,  or  for  thought  and 
dreaming  or  for  pleasure,  or  in  which  the  eaters 
of  the  African  lotus  might  spend  their  hours  and 
days  of  semi-consciousness  sounding  of  a  life 
earthly  yet  purely  spiritual.  There  were  long 
aisles  for  walking,  and  couches  for  rest ;  there 
were  pictures,  flowers,  and  a  fountain  ;  the  walls 
and  ceiling  glowed  with  frescoing ;  and  wherever 
the  eye  turned  it  rested  upon  some  cunning  de- 
vice intended  to  instruct,  gladden,  comfort,  and 
content.  Lamplight  streamed  into  every  corner, 
ill  supplying  the  perfect  sunshine,  yet  serving  its 
grand  purpose.  The  effect  was  more  than  beau- 
tiful. The  world  above  was  counterfeited,  so  that 
one  ignorant  of  the  original  and  dwelling  in  the 
counterfeit  could  have  been  happy  all  his  life 
long.  Scarcely  is  it  too  much  to  say  of  the  mas- 
ter who  designed  and  finished  the  grotto,  that, 
could  he  have  borrowed  the  materials  of  nature, 
he  had  the  taste  and  genius  to  set  a  star  with  the 
variety  and  harmony  that  mark  the  setting  of  the 
earth's  surface,  and  of  themselves  prove  its  Cre- 
ator divine. 

In  the  enchantment  of  the  place  there  was  a 
peculiarity  indicative  of  a  purpose  higher  than 
mere  enjoyment,  and  that  was  the  total  absence 
of  humanity  in  the  host  of  things  visible.  Painted 


98  THE   FAIR   GOD 

on  the  ceiling  and  walls  were  animals  of  almost 
every  kind  common  to  the  clime  ;  birds  of  won- 
drous plumage  darted  hither  and  thither,  twitter- 
ing and  singing ;  there,  also,  were  flowers  the 
fairest  and  most  fragrant,  and  orange  and  laurel 
shrubs,  and  pines  and  cedars  and  oaks,  and  other 
trees  of  the  forest,  dwarfed,  and  arranged  for  con- 
venient carriage  to  the  azoteas  ;  in  the  pictures, 
moreover,  were  the  objects  most  remarkable  in 
the  face  of  nature,  —  rivers,  woods,  plains,  moun- 
tains, oceans,  the  heavens  in  storm  and  calm  ; 
but  nowhere  was  the  picture  of  man,  woman,  or 
child.  In  the  frescoing  were  houses  and  temples, 
grouped  as  in  hamlets  and  cities,  or  standing 
alone  on  a  river's  bank,  or  in  the  shadow  of  great 
trees  ;  but  of  their  habitants  and  builders  there 
was  not  a  trace.  In  fine,  the  knowledge  there 
taught  was  that  of  a  singular  book.  A  mind 
receiving  impressions,  like  a  child's,  would  be 
carried  by  it  far  enough  in  the  progressive  edu- 
cation of  life  to  form  vivid  ideas  of  the  world,  and 
yet  be  left  in  a  dream  of  unintelligence  to  people 
it  with  fairies,  angels,  or  gods.  Almost  every- 
thing had  there  a  representation  but  humanity, 
the  brightest  fallen  nature. 

Mualox  entered  as  one  habituated  to  the  cham- 
ber. The  air  was  soft,  balmy,  and  pleasant,  and 
the  illumination  mellowed,  as  if  the  morning 
were  shut  out  by  curtains  of  gossamer  tinted 
with  roses  and  gold.  Near  the  centre  of  the  room 
he  came  to  a  fountain  of  water  crystal  clear  and 
in  full  play,  the  jet  shooting  from  a  sculptured 


MUALOX   AND    HIS   WORLD  99 

stone  up  almost  to  the  ceiling.  Around  it  were 
tables,  ottomans,  couches,  and  things  of  vertu, 
such  as  would  have  adorned  the  palace;  there, 
also,  were  vases  of  flowers,  culled  and  growing, 
and  of  such  color  and  perfume  as  would  have  been 
estimable  in  Cholula,  and  musical  instruments, 
and  pencils  and  paints. 

It  was  hardly  possible  that  this  conception,  so 
like  the  Restful  World  of  Brahma,  should  be 
without  its  angel ;  for  the  atmosphere  and  all 
were  for  a  spirit  of  earth  or  heaven  softer  than 
man's.  And  by  the  fountain  it  was,  —  a  soul 
fresh  and  pure  as  the  laughing  water. 

The  girl  of  whom  I  speak  was  asleep.  Her 
head  lay  upon  a  cushion  ;  over  the  face,  clear  and 
almost  white,  shone  a  lambent  transparency, 
which  might  have  been  the  reflection  of  the 
sparkling  water.  The  garments  gathered  close 
about  her  did  not  conceal  the  delicacy  and  child- 
like grace  of  her  form.  One  foot  was  exposed, 
and  it  was  bare,  small,  and  nearly  lost  in  the 
tufted  mattress  of  her  couch.  Under  a  profusion 
of  dark  hair,  covering  the  cushion  like  the  floss 
of  silk,  lay  an  arm ;  a  hand,  dimpled  and  soft, 
rested  lightly  on  her  breast.  The  slumber  was 
very  deep,  giving  the  face  the  expression  of 
dreamless  repose,  with  the  promise  of  health  and 
happiness  upon  waking. 

The  paba  approached  her  tenderly,  and  knelt 
down.  His  face  was  full  of  holy  affection.  He 
bent  his  cheek  close  to  her  parted  lips,  listening 
to  her  breathing.  He  brought  the  straying  locks 


100  THE   FAIR   GOD 

back,  and  laid  them  across  her  neck.  Now  and 
then  a  bird  came  and  lighted  on  the  table,  and  he 
waved  his  mantle  to  scare  it  away.  And  when 
the  voice  of  the  fountain  seemed,  under  an  in- 
creased pulsation  of  the  water,  to  grow  louder,  he 
looked  around,  frowning  lest  it  might  disturb  her. 
She  slept  on,  his  love  about  her  like  a  silent 
prayer  that  has  found  its  consummation  in  perfect 
peace. 

And  as  he  knelt,  he  became  sad  and  thought- 
ful. The  events  that  were  to  come,  and  his  faith 
in  their  coming,  were  as  actual  sorrows.  His 
reflections  were  like  a  plea  addressed  to  his  con- 
science. 

"  God  pardon  me,  if,  after  all,  I  should  be  mis- 
taken !  The  wrong  would  be  so  very  great  as  to 
bar  me  from  the  Sun.  Is  any  vanity  like  that 
which  makes  sorrows  for  our  fellows  ?  And  such 
is  not  only  the  vanity  of  the  warrior,  and  that 
of  the  ruler  of  tribes ;  sometimes  it  is  of  the 
priests  who  go  into  the  temples  thinking  of  things 
that  do  not  pertain  to  the  gods.  What  if  mine 
were  such  ? 

"The  holy  Quetzal'  knows  that  I  intended  to 
be  kind  to  the  child.  I  thought  my  knowledge 
greater  than  that  of  ordinary  mortals  ;  I  thought 
it  moved  in  fields  where  only  the  gods  walk,  sow- 
ing wisdom.  The  same  vanity,  taking  words,  told 
me,  '  Look  up !  There  is  no  abyss  between  you 
and  the  gods  ;  they  cannot  make  themselves  of 
the  dust,  but  you  can  reach  their  summit  almost 
a  god.'  And  I  labored,  seeking  the  principles 


MUALOX   AND    HIS   WORLD  101 

that  would  accomplish  my  dream,  if  such  it  were. 
Heaven  forgive  me,  but  I  once  thought  I  had 
found  them  !  Other  men  looking  out  on  creation 
could  see  nothing  but  Wisdom  —  Wisdom  every- 
where ;  but  I  looked  with  a  stronger  vision,  and 
wherever  there  was  a  trace  of  infinite  WISDOM, 
there  was  also  for  me  an  infinite  WILL. 

"  Here  were  the  principles,  but  they  were  not 
enough.  Something  said  to  me,  '  What  were  the 
Wisdom  and  Will  of  the  gods  without  subjects  ? ' 
It  was  a  great  idea :  I  thought  I  stood  almost 
upon  the  summit ! 

"  And  I  set  about  building  me  a  world.  I  took 
the  treasure  of  Quetzal',  and  collected  these 
marvels,  and  bought  me  the  labor  of  art.  Wea- 
vers, florists,  painters,  masons,  —  all  toiled  for 
me.  Gold,  labor,  and  time  are  here,  —  there  is 
little  beauty  without  them.  Here  is  my  world," 
he  said  aloud,  glancing  around  the  great  hall. 

"I  had  my  world  ;  next  I  wanted  a  subject  for 
my  will.  But  where  to  go  ?  Not  among  men, 

—  alas,  they  are  their  own  slaves  !     One  day  I 
stood  in  the  tiangnez  where  a  woman  was  being 
sold.     A  baby  in  her  arms  smiled,  it  might  have 
been  at  the  sunshine,  it  might  have  been  at  me. 
The  mother  said,  'Buy.'    A  light  flashed  upon  me 

—  I  bought  you,  my  poor  child.     Men  say  of  the 
bud,  It  will  be  a  rose,  and  of  the  plant,  It  will  be 
a  tree ;  you  were  so  young  then  that  I  said,  '  It 
will  be  a  mind.'     And  into  my  world  I  brought 
you,  thinking,  as  I  had  made  it,  so  I  would  make 
a  subject.    This,  I  told  you,  was  your  birthplace  ; 


102  THE   FAIR   GOD 

and  here  passed  your  infancy  and  childhood;  here 
you  have  dwelt.  Your  cheeks  are  pale,  my  little 
one,  but  full  and  fresh ;  your  breath  is  sweet  as 
the  air  above  a  garden ;  and  you  have  grown  in 
beauty,  knowing  nothing  living  but  the  birds  and 
me.  My  will  has  a  subject,  O  Tecetl,  and  my 
heart  a  child.  And  judge  me,  holy  Quetzal',  if  I 
have  not  tried  to  make  her  happy  !  I  have  given 
her  knowledge  of  everything  but  humanity,  and 
ignorance  of  that  is  happiness.  My  world  has 
thus  far  been  a  heaven  to  her ;  her  dreams  have 
been  of  it ;  I  am  its  god !  " 

And   yet   unwilling   to   disturb   her    slumber, 
Mualox  arose,  and  walked  away. 


XIII 

THE   SEARCH   FOR   QUETZAL* 

Y  and  by  he  returned,  and,  stand- 
ing by  the  couch,  passed  his 
hand  several  times  above  her 
face.  Silent  as  the  movements 
were,  she  awoke,  and  threw  her 
arms  around  his  neck. 
"  You  have  been  gone  a  long  while,"  she  said 
in  a  childish  voice.  "  I  waited  for  you  ;  but  the 
lamps  burned  down  low,  and  the  shadows,  from 
their  hiding  among  the  bushes,  came  creeping  in 
upon  the  fountain,  and  I  slept." 

"  I  saw  you,"  he  answered,  playing  with  her 
hair.     "  I  saw  you  ;  I  always  see  you." 


104  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"  I  tried  to  paint  the  fountain,"  she  went  on  ; 
"but  when  I  watched  the  water  to  catch  its 
colors,  I  thought  its  singing  changed  to  voices, 
and,  listening  to  them,  they  stole  my  thoughts 
away.  Then  I  tried  to  blend  my  voice  with  them, 
and  sing  as  they  sung ;  but  whenever  mine  sank 
low  enough,  it  seemed  sad,  while  they  went  on 
gayer  and  more  ringing  than  ever.  I  can  paint 
the  flowers,  but  not  the  water ;  I  can  sing  with 
the  birds,  but  not  with  the  fountain.  But  you 
promised  to  call  me,  —  that  you  would  always 
call  me." 

"I  knew  you  were  asleep." 

"  But  you  had  only  to  think  to  waken  me." 

He  smiled  at  this  acknowledgment  of  the 
power  of  his  will.  Just  then  a  bell  sounded 
faintly  through  the  chamber;  hastening  away, 
he  shortly  returned  with  breakfast  on  a  great 
shell  waiter  ;  there  were  maize  bread  and  honey, 
quails  and  chocolate,  figs  and  oranges.  Placing 
them  on  a  table,  he  rolled  up  an  ottoman  for  the 
girl ;  and,  though  she  talked  much  and  lightly, 
the  meal  was  soon  over.  Then  he  composed  him- 
self upon  the  couch,  and  in  the  quiet,  unbroken 
save  by  Tecetl,  forgot  the  night  and  its  incidents. 

His  rest  was  calm ;  when  he  awoke,  she  was 
sitting  by  the  basin  of  the  fountain  talking  to  her 
birds  gleefully  as  a  child.  She  had  given  them 
names,  words  more  of  sound  pleasant  to  the  ear 
than  of  signification  ;  so  she  understood  the  birds, 
whose  varied  cries  were  to  her  a  language.  And 
they  were  fearless  and  tame,  perching  on  her 


THE    SEARCH   FOR   QUETZAL'  105 

hand,  and  courting  her  caresses ;  while  she  was 
as  artless,  with  a  knowledge  as  innocent,  and  a 
nature  as  happy.  If  Quetzal'  was  the  paba's  idol 
in  religion,  she  was  his  idol  in  affection. 

He  watched  her  a  while,  then  suddenly  sat  up  ; 
though  he  said  not  a  word,  she  flung  her  birds  off, 
and  came  to  him  smiling. 

"  You  called  me,  father." 

He  laid  his  hand  upon  her  shoulder,  all  over- 
flowed with  the  dark  hair,  and  said  in  a  low  voice, 
"  The  time  approaches  when  Quetzal'  is  to  come 
from  the  home  of  the  gods ;  it  may  be  he  is  near. 
I  will  send  you  over  the  sea  and  the  land  to  find 
him  ;  you  shall  have  wings  to  carry  you  into  the 
air ;  and  you  shall  fly  swifter  than  the  birds  you 
have  been  talking  to." 

Her  smile  deepened. 

"  Have  you  not  told  me  that  Quetzal'  is  good, 
and  that  his  voice  is  like  the  fountain's,  and  that 
when  he  speaks  it  is  like  singing?  I  am  ready." 

He  kissed  her,  and  nearer  the  basin  rolled  the 
couch,  upon  which  she  sat  reclined  against  a  heap 
of  cushions,  her  hands  clasped  over  her  breast. 

"Do  not  let  me  be  long  gone!"  she  said. 
"  The  lamps  will  burn  low  again,  and  I  do  not 
like  to  have  the  shadows  come  and  fold  up  my 
flowers." 

The  paba  took  a  pearl  from  the  folds  of  his 
gown,  and  laid  it  before  her ;  then  he  sat  down, 
and  fixed  his  eyes  upon  her  face ;  she  looked  at 
the  jewel,  and  composed  herself  as  for  sleep. 
Her  hands  settled  upon  her  bosom,  her  features 


106  THE   FAIR   GOD 

grew  impassive,  the  lips  slowly  parted  ;  gradually 
her  eyelids  drooped,  and  the  life  running  in  the 
veins  of  her  cheeks  and  forehead  went  back  into 
her  heart.  Out  of  the  pearl  seemed  to  issue  a 
spell  that  stole  upon  her  spirits  gently  as  an 
atomy  settles  through  the  still  air.  Finally,  there 
was  a  sigh,  a  sob,  and  over  the  soul  of  the  maiden 
the  will  of  Mualox  became  absolute.  He  took  her 
hand  in  his. 

"  Wings  swifter  than  the  winds  are  yours,  Te- 
cetl.  Go,"  he  said,  "search  for  the  god  ;  search 
the  land." 

She  moved  not,  and  scarcely  breathed. 

"  Speak,"  he  continued  ;  "let  me  know  that  I 
am  obeyed." 

The  will  was  absolute ;  she  spoke,  and  though 
at  first  the  words  came  slowly,  yet  he  listened 
like  a  prophet  waiting  for  revelation.  She  spoke 
of  the  land,  of  its  rivers,  forests,  and  mountains ; 
she  spoke  of  the  cities,  of  their  streets  and  build- 
ings, and  of  .their  people,  for  whom  she  knew 
no  name.  She  spoke  of  events  transpiring  in  dis- 
tant provinces,  as  well  as  in  Tenochtitlan.  She 
went  into  the  temples,  markets,  and  palaces. 
Wherever  men  traveled,  thither  her  spirit  flew. 
When  the  flight  was  done,  and  her  broken  de- 
scription ceased,  the  holy  man  sighed. 

"  Not  yet,  Tecetl ;  he  is  not  found.  The  god 
is  not  on  the  land.  Search  the  air." 

And  still  the  will  was  absolute,  though  the 
theme  of  the  seer  changed  ;  it  was  not  of  the  land 
now,  but  of  the  higher  realm  ;  she  spoke  of  the 


THE   SEARCH   FOR  QUETZAL'  107 

sunshine  and  the  cloud,  of  the  wind  rushing  and 
chill,  of  the  earth  far  down,  and  grown  so  small 
that  the  mountains  leveled  with  the  plains. 

"  Not  yet,  not  yet,"  he  cried  ;  "the  god  is  not 
in  the  air.  Go  search  the  sea !  " 

In  the  hollow  of  his  hand  he  lifted  water,  and 
sprinkled  her  face  ;  and  when  he  resumed  his  seat 
she  spoke,  not  slowly  as  before,  but  fast  and  free. 

"  The  land  is  passed  ;  behind  me  are  the  cities 
and  lakes,  and  the  great  houses  and  blue  waters, 
such  as  I  have  seen  in  my  pictures.  I  am  hover- 
ing now,  father,  where  there  is  nothing  before  me 
but  waves  and  distance.  White  birds  go  skim- 
ming about  careless  of  the  foam  ;  the  winds  pour 
upon  me  steadily  ;  and  in  my  ear  is  a  sound  as  of  a 
great  voice.  I  listen,  and  it  is  the  sea;  or,  father, 
it  may  be  the  voice  of  the  god  whom  you  seek." 

She  was  silent,  as  if  waiting  for  an  answer. 

"The  water,  is  it  ?  Well,  well,  —  whither  shall 
I  go  now? " 

"  Follow  the  shore ;  it  may  lead  where  only 
gods  have  been." 

"  Still  the  waves  and  the  distance,  and  the 
land,  where  it  goes  down  into  the  sea  sprinkled 
with  shells.  Still  the  deep  voice  in  my  ear,  and 
the  wind  about  me.  I  hurry  on,  but  it  is  all 
alike,  —  all  water  and  sound.  No!  Out  of  the 
waves  rises  a  new  land,  the  sea,  a  girdle  of 
billows,  encircling  it  everywhere ;  yet  there  are 
blue  clouds  ascending  from  the  fields,  and  I  see 
palm-trees  and  temples.  May  not  thy  god  dwell 
here  ? " 


io8  THE    FAIR   GOD 

"  No.     You  see  but  an  island.    On  !  " 

"  Well,  well.  Behind  me  fades  the  island  ;  be- 
fore me  is  nothing  but  sheen  and  waves  and  dis- 
tance again  ;  far  around  runs  the  line  separating 
the  sea  and  sky.  Waste,  all  waste  ;  the  sea  all 
green,  the  sky  all  blue ;  no  life ;  no  god.  But 
stay  ! " 

"  Something  moves  on  the  waste :  speak, 
child ! " 

But  for  a  time  she  was  still. 

"  Speak ! "  he  said,  earnestly.   "  Speak,  Tecetl ! " 

"They  are  far  off,  —  far  off,"  she  replied 
slowly  and  in  a  doubting  way.  "  They  move  and 
live,  but  I  cannot  tell  whether  they  come  or  go, 
or  what  they  are.  Their  course  is  unsteady,  and, 
like  the  flight  of  birds,  now  upon  the  sea,  then  in 
air,  a  moment  seeming  of  the  waves,  then  of  the 
sky.  They  look  like  white  clouds." 

"  You  are  fleeter  than  birds  or  clouds,  — 
nearer !  "  he  said  sternly,  the  fire  in  his  eyes  all 
alight. 

"  I  go,  —  I  approach  them,  —  I  now  see  them 
coming.  O  father,  father  !  I  know  not  what  your 
god  is  like,  nor  what  shape  he  takes,  nor  in  what 
manner  he  travels ;  but  surely  these  are  his  ! 
There  are  many  of  them,  and  as  they  sweep  along 
they  are  a  sight  to  be  looked  at  with  trembling." 

"  What  are  they,  Tecetl  ? " 

"  How  can  I  answer  ?  They  are  not  of  the 
things  I  have  seen  in  my  pictures,  nor  heard  in 
my  songs.  The  face  of  the  sea  is  whitened  by 
them  ;  the  largest  leads  the  way,  looking  like  a 


THE    SEARCH    FOR   QUETZAL'  109 

shell,  —  of  them  I  have  heard  you  speak  as 
coming  from  the  sea, — a  great  shell '  streaked 
with  light  and  shade,  and  hollow,  so  that  the 
sides  rise  above  the  reach  of  the  waves,  — 
wings  "  — 

"  Nay,  what  would  a  god  of  the  air  with  wings 
to  journey  upon  the  sea !  " 

"  Above  it  are  clouds,  —  clouds  white  as  the 
foam,  and  such  as  a  god  might  choose  to  waft 
him  on  his  way.  I  can  see  them  sway  and  toss, 
but  as  the  shell  rushes  into  the  hollow  places, 
they  lift  it  up,  and  drive  it  on." 

A  brighter  light  flashed  from  his  eyes.  "  It  is 
the  canoe,  the  canoe  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  The 
canoe  from  Tlapallan  !  " 

"The  canoe,  father  !  The  waves  rush  joyously 
around  it;  they  lift  themselves  in  its  path,  and 
roll  on  to  meet  it ;  then,  as  if  they  knew  it  to  be 
a  god's,  in  peace  make  way  for  its  coming.  Upon 
the  temples  in  my  pictures  I  have  seen  signs 
floating  in  the  air  "  — 

"You  mean  banners,  —  banners,  child,"  he  said 
tremulously. 

"  I  remember  now.  Above  the  foremost  canoe, 
above  its  clouds,  there  is  a  banner,  and  it  is 
black"  — 

"Tis  Quetzal's!  Tis  Quetzal's!"  he  mut- 
tered. 

"  It  is  black,  with  golden  embroidery,  and 
something  picture-written  on  it,  but  what  I  can- 
not tell." 

"Look  in  the  canoe." 


no  THE   FAIR  GOD 

"  I  see  —  O,  I  know  not  what  to  call  them." 

"  Of  what  shape  are  they,  child  ?  " 

"Yours,  father." 

"  Go  on  :  they  are  gods  !  "  he  said,  and  still  the 
naming  of  men  was  unheard  in  the  great  cham- 
ber. 

"There  are  many  of  them,"  she  continued  , 
"  their  garments  flash  and  gleam ;  around  one 
like  themselves  they  are  met ;  to  me  he  seems 
the  superior  god  ;  he  is  speaking,  they  are  lis- 
tening. He  is  taller  than  you,  father,  and  has  a 
fair  face,  and  hair  and  beard  like  the  hue  of  his 
banner.  His  garments  are  the  brightest  of  all." 

"  You  have  described  a  god ;  it  is  Quetzal',  the 
holy,  beautiful  Quetzal' ! "  he  said,  with  rising 
voice.  "  Look  if  his  course  be  toward  the  land." 

"Every  canoe  moves  toward  the  shore." 

"Enough!"  he  cried.  "The  writing  on  the 
wall  is  the  god's ! "  And,  rising,  he  awoke  the 
girl. 

As  Tecetl  awake  had  no  recollection  of  her 
journey,  or  of  what  she  had  seen  in  its  course,  she 
wondered  at  his  trouble  and  excitement,  and 
spoke  to  him,  without  answer. 

"  Father,  what  has  Tecetl  done  that  you  should 
be  so  troubled  ?  " 

He  put  aside  her  arms,  and  in  silence  turned 
slowly  from  the  pleasant  place,  and  retraced  his 
steps  back  through  the  halls  of  the  Cfi  to  the 
courtyard  and  azoteas. 

The  weight  of  the  secret  did  not  oppress  him  ; 
it  rested  upon  him  lightly  as  the  surplice  upon 


THE   SEARCH   FOR   QUETZAL'  ill 

his  shoulders  ;  for  the  humble  servant  of  his  god 
was  lifted  above  his  poverty  and  trembling,  and, 
vivified  by  the  consciousness  of  inspiration,  felt 
more  than  a  warrior's  strength.  But  what  should 
he  do  ?  Where  proclaim  the  revelation  ?  Upon 
the  temple  ? 

"  The  streets  are  deserted  ;  the  people  are  in 
the  theatre  ;  the  king  is  there  with  all  Anahuac," 
he  muttered.  "  The  coming  of  Quetzal'  concerns 
the  Empire,  and  it  shall  hear  the  announcement  : 
so  not  on  the  temple,  but  to  the  tiangiiez.  The 
god  speaks  to  me  !  To  the  tianguez  !  " 

In  the  chapel  he  exchanged  his  white  surplice 
for  the  regalia  of  sacrifice.  Never  before,  to  his 
fancy,  wore  the  idol  such  seeming  of  life.  Satis- 
faction played  grimly  about  its  mouth  ;  upon  its 
brow,  like  a  coronet,  sat  the  infinite  Will.  From 
the  chapel  he  descended  to  the  street  that  led  to 
the  great  square.  Insensibly,  as  he  hurried  on, 
his  steps  quickened  ;  and,  bareheaded  and  unsan- 
daled,  his  white  beard  and  hair  loose  and  flowing, 
and  his  face  beaming  with  excitement,  he  looked 
the  very  embodiment  of  direful  prophecy.  On 
the  streets  he  met  only  slaves.  At  the  theatre 
the  entrance  was  blocked  by  people  ;  soldiery 
guarded  the  arena  :  but  guard  and  people  shrunk 
at  his  approach ;  and  thus,  without  word  or  cry, 
he  rushed  within  the  wall  of  shields,  where  were 
none  but  the  combatants,  living  and  dead. 

Midway  the  arena  he  halted,  his  face  to  the 
king  Around  ran  his  wondrous  glance,  and,  re- 
gardless of  the  royalty  present,  the  people  shouted, 


112  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"The  paba,  the  paba!"  and  their  many  voices 
shook  the  theatre.  Flinging  the  white  locks  back 
on  his  shoulders,  he  tossed  his  arms  aloft ;  and 
the  tumult  rose  into  the  welkin,  and  a  calm  set- 
tled over  the  multitude.  Montezuma,  with  the 
malediction  warm  on  his  lips,  bent  from  his  couch 
to  hear  his  words. 

"  Woe  is  Tenochtitlan,  the  beautiful !  "  he 
cried,  in  the  unmeasured  accents  of  grief.  "  Woe 
to  homes,  and  people,  and  armies,  and  king! 
Why  this  gathering  of  dwellers  on  the  hills  and 
in  the  valleys  ?  Why  the  combat  of  warriors  ? 
Quetzal'  is  at  hand.  He  comes  for  vengeance. 
Woe  is  Tenochtitlan,  the  beautiful !  .  .  .  This,  O 
king,  is  the  day  of  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy. 
From  out  the  sea,  wafted  by  clouds,  even  now 
the  canoes  of  the  god  are  coming.  His  power 
whitens  the  waves,  and  the  garments  of  his  war- 
riors gleam  with  the  light  of  the  sky.  Woe  is 
Tenochtitlan !  This  day  is  the  last  of  her  per- 
fect glory ;  to-morrow  Quetzal'  will  glisten  on  the 
seashore,  and  her  Empire  vanish  forever.  .  .  . 
EOPLE,  say  farewell  to  peace!  Keepers 
of  the  temples,  holy  men,  go  feed  the  fires, 
and  say  the  prayer,  and  sacrifice  the  victim  ! 
And  thou,  O  king !  summon  thy  strong  men, 
leaders  in  battle,  and  be  thy  banners  counted,  and 
thy  nations  marshaled.  In  vain  !  Woe  is  Tenoch- 
titlan !  Sitting  in  the  lake,  she  shines  lustrously 
as  a  star ;  and  though  in  a  valley  of  gardens,  she  is 
like  a  great  tree  shadowing  in  a  desert.  But  the 
ravager  comes,  and  the  tree  shall  be  felled,  and  the 


THE   SEARCH   FOR   QUETZAL'  113 

star  go  out  darkling  forever.  The  fires  shall  fade, 
the  bones  of  the  dead  kings  be  scattered,  altars 
and  gods  overthrown,  and  every  temple  leveled 
with  the  streets.  Woe  is  Tenochtitlan  !  Ended, 
—  ended  forever  is  the  march  of  Azatlan,  the 
mighty! " 

His  arms  fell  down,  and,  without  further  word, 
his  head  bowed  upon  his  breast,  the  prophet  de- 
parted. The  spell  he  left  behind  him  remained 
unbroken.  As  they  recovered  from  the  effects 
of  his  bodement,  the  people  left  the  theatre,  their 
minds  full  of  indefinite  dread.  If  perchance  they 
spoke  of  the  scene  as  they  went,  it  was  in  whis- 
pers, and  rather  to  sound  the  depths  of  each 
other's  alarm.  And  for  the  rest  of  the  day  they 
remained  in  their  houses,  brooding  alone,  or  col- 
lected in  groups,  talking  in  low  voices,  wondering 
about  the  prescience  of  the  paba,  and  looking 
each  moment  for  the  development  of  something 
more  terrible. 

The  king  watched  the  holy  man  until  he  disap- 
peared in  the  crowded  passage  ;  then  a  deadly 
paleness  overspread  his  face,  and  he  sunk  almost 
to  the  platform.  The  nobles  rushed  around,  and 
bore  him  to  his  palanquin,  their  brave  souls  aston- 
ished that  the  warrior  and  priest  and  mighty  mon- 
arch could  be  so  overcome.  They  carried  him 
to  his  palace,  and  left  him  to  a  solitude  full  of 
unkingly  superstitions. 

Guatamozin,  serene  amid  the  confusion,  called 
the  tamanes,  and  ordered  the  old  Othmi  and  the 
dead  removed.  The  Tezcucan  still  breathed. 


114  THE   FAIR  GOD 

"The  reviler  of  the  gods  shall  be  cared  for," 
he  said  to  himself.  "  If  he  lives,  their  justice  will 
convict  him." 

Before  the  setting  of  the  sun,  the  structure  in 
the  tianguez  was  taken  down  and  restored  to  the 
temples,  never  again  to  be  used.  Yet  the  market- 
place remained  deserted  and  vacant ;  the  whole 
city  seemed  plague-smitten. 

And  the  common  terror  was  not  without  cause, 
any  more  than  Mualox  was  without  inspiration. 
That  night  the  ships  of  Cortes,  eleven  in  number, 
and  freighted  with  the  materials  of  conquest 
from  the  east  of  Yucatan,  came  sweeping  down 
the  bay  of  Campeachy.  Next  morning  they  sailed 
up  the  Rio  de  Tabasco,  beautiful  with  its  pure 
water  and  its  banks  fringed  with  mangroves. 
Tecetl  had  described  the  fleet,  the  sails  of  which 
from  afar  looked  like  clouds,  while  they  did,  in- 
deed, whiten  the  sea. 

Next  evening  a  courier  sped  hotly  over  the 
causeway  and  up  the  street,  stopping  at  the  gate 
of  the  royal  palace.  He  was  taken  before  the 
king  ;  and,  shortly  after,  it  went  flying  over  the 
city  how  Quetzal'  had  arrived,  in  canoes  larger 
than  temples,  wafted  by  clouds,  and  full  of  thun- 
der and  lightning.  Then  sank  the  monarch's 
heart ;  and,  though  the  Spaniard  knew  it  not,  his 
marvelous  conquest  was  half  completed  before 
his  iron  shoe  smote  the  shore  at  San  Juan  de 
Ulloa.1 

1  Cortes's  squadron  reached  the  mouth  of  the  river  Tabasco 
on  the  1 2th  of  March,  1519. 


BOOK   TWO 


I 


WHO   ARE   THE   STRANGERS 

ARCH  passed,  and  April  came, 
and  still  the  strangers,  in  their 
great  canoes,  lingered  on  the 
coast.  Montezuma  observed 
them  with  becoming  prudence  ; 
through  his  lookouts,  he  was 
informed  of  their  progress  from 
the  time  they  left  the  Rio  de 
Tabasco. 

The  constant  anxiety  to 
which  he  was  subjected  affected  his  temper;  and, 
though  roused  from  the  torpor  into  which  he  had 
been  plunged  by  the  visit  to  the  golden  chamber, 
and  the  subsequent  prophecy  of  Mualox,  his 
melancholy  was  a  thing  of  common  observation. 
He  renounced  his  ordinary  amusements,  even 
totoloque,  and  went  no  more  to  the  hunting- 
grounds  on  the  shore  of  the  lake ;  in  preference 
he  took  long  walks  in  the  gardens  and  reclined 
in  the  audience-chamber  of  his  palace  ;  yet  more 


Il8  THE   FAIR   GOD 

remarkable,  conversation  with  his  councilors  and 
nobles  delighted  him  more  than  the  dances  of  his 
women  or  the  songs  of  his  minstrels.  In  truth, 
the  monarch  was  himself  a  victim  of  the  delu- 
sions he  had  perfected  for  his  people.  Polytheism 
had  come  to  him  with  the  Empire ;  but  he  had 
enlarged  upon  it,  and  covered  it  with  dogmas ; 
and  so  earnestly,  through  a  long  and  glorious 
reign,  had  he  preached  them,  that,  at  last,  he  had 
become  his  own  most  zealous  convert.  In  all  his 
dominions,  there  was  not  one  whom  faith  more 
inclined  to  absolute  fear  of  Quetzal'  than  himself. 

One  evening  he  passed  from  his  bath  to  the 
dining-hall  for  the  last  meal  of  the  day.  Invigo- 
rated, and,  as  was  his  custom,  attired  for  the 
fourth  time  since  morning  in  fresh  garments,  he 
walked  briskly,  and  even  droned  a  song. 

No  monarch  in  Europe  fared  more  sumptuously 
than  Montezuma.  The  room  devoted  to  the 
purpose  was  spacious,  and,  on  this  occasion, 
brilliantly  lighted.  The  floor  was  spread  with 
figured  matting,  and  the  walls  hung  with  beau- 
tiful tapestry  ;  and  in  the  centre  of  the  apartment 
a  luxurious  couch  had  been  rolled  for  him,  it 
being  his  habit  to  eat  reclining ;  while,  to  hide 
him  from  the  curious,  a  screen  had  been  con- 
trived, and  set  up  between  the  couch  and  principal 
door.  The  viands  set  down  by  his  steward  as 
the  substantiate  of  the  first  course  were  arranged 
upon  the  floor  before  the  couch,  and  kept  warm 
and  smoking  by  chafing-dishes.  The  table,  if 
such  it  may  be  called,  was  supplied  by  contribu- 


WHO   ARE   THE   STRANGERS  119 

tions  from  the  provinces,  and  furnished,  in  fact, 
no  contemptible  proof  of  his  authority,  and  the 
perfection  with  which  it  was  exercised.  The  ware 
was  of  the  finest  Cholulan  manufacture,  and,  like 
his  clothes,  never  used  by  him  but  the  once,  a 
royal  custom  requiring  him  to  present  it  to  his 
friends.1 

When  he  entered  the  room,  the  evening  I  have 
mentioned,  there  were  present  only  his  steward, 
four  or  five  aged  councilors,  whom  he  was  accus- 
tomed to  address  as  "  uncles,"  and  a  couple  of 
women,  who  occupied  themselves  in  preparing 
certain  wafers  and  confections  which  he  particu- 
larly affected.  He  stretched  himself  comfortably 
upon  the  couch,  much,  I  presume,  after  the  style 
of  the  Romans,  and  at  once  began  the  meal. 
The  ancients  moved  back  several  steps,  and  a 
score  of  boys,  noble,  yet  clad  in  the  inevitable 
nequen,  responding  to  a  bell,  came  in  and  posted 
themselves  to  answer  his  requests. 

Sometimes,  by  invitation,  the  councilors  were 
permitted  to  share  the  feast ;  oftener,  however, 
the  only  object  of  their  presence  was  to  afford 
him  the  gratification  of  remark.  The  conversa- 
tion was  usually  irregular,  and  hushed  and  re- 
newed as  he  prompted,  and  not  unfrequently 
extended  to  the  gravest  political  and  religious 
subjects.  On  the  evening  in  question  he  spoke 
to  them  kindly. 

"  I  feel  better  this  evening,  uncles.  My  good 
star  is  rising  above  the  mists  that  have  clouded 

1  Prescott,  Conq.  of  Mexico. 


120  THE   FAIR   GOD 

it.  We  ought  not  to  complain  of  what  we  cannot 
help ;  still,  I  have  thought  that  when  the  gods 
retained  the  power  to  afflict  us  with  sorrows, 
they  should  have  given  us  some  power  to  correct 
them." 

One  of  the  old  men  answered  reverentially, 
"  A  king  should  be  too  great  for  sorrows ;  he 
should  wear  his  crown  against  them  as  we  wear 
our  mantles  against  the  cold  winds." 

"A  good  idea,"  said  the  monarch,  smiling; 
"  but  you  forget  that  the  crown,  instead  of  pro- 
tecting, is  itself  the  trouble.  Come  nearer,  uncles  ; 
there  is  a  matter  more  serious  about  which  I 
would  hear  your  minds." 

They  obeyed  him,  and  he  went  on. 

"The  last  courier  brought  me  word  that  the 
strangers  were  yet  on  the  coast,  hovering  about 
the  islands.  Tell  me,  who  say  you  they  are,  and 
whence  do  they  come  ? " 

"  How  may  we  know  more  than  our  wise 
master  ? "  said  one  of  them. 

"  And  our  thoughts,  —  do  we  not  borrow  them 
from  you,  O  king  ?  "  added  another. 

"What !  Call  you  those  answers  ?  Nay,  uncles, 
my  fools  can  better  serve  me  ;  if  they  cannot 
instruct,  they  can  at  least  amuse." 

The  king  spoke  bitterly,  and  looking  at  one, 
probably  the  oldest  of  them  all,  said,  — 

"  Uncle,  you  are  the  poorest  courtier,  but  you 
are  discreet  and  honest.  I  want  opinions  that 
have  in  them  more  wisdom  than  flattery.  Speak 
to  me  truly  :  who  are  these  strangers  ? " 


WHO   ARE   THE    STRANGERS  121 

"  For  your  sake,  O  my  good  king,  I  wish  I  were 
wise ;  for  the  trouble  they  have  given  my  poor 
understanding  is  indeed  very  great.  I  believe 
them  to  be  gods,  landed  from  the  Sun."  And  the 
old  man  went  on  to  fortify  his  belief  with  argu- 
ments. In  the  excited  state  of  his  fancy,  it  was 
easy  for  him  to  convert  the  cannon  of  the  Span- 
iards into  engines  of  thunder  and  lightning,  and 
transform  their  horses  into  creatures  of  Mictlan 
mightier  than  men.  Right  summarily  he  also 
concluded,  that  none  but  gods  could  traverse  the 
dominions  of  Haloc,1  subjecting  the  variant  winds 
to  their  will.  Finally,  to  prove  the  strangers 
irresistible,  he  referred  to  the  battle  of  Tabasco, 
then  lately  fought  between  Cortes  and  the  In- 
dians. 

Montezuma  heard  him  in  silence,  and  replied, 
"  Not  badly  given,  uncle  ;  your  friends  may  pro- 
fit by  your  example ;  but  you  have  not  talked 
as  a  warrior.  You  have  forgotten  that  we,  too, 
have  beaten  the  lazy  Tabascans.  That  reference 
proves  as  much  for  my  caciques  as  for  your  gods." 

He  waved  his  hand,  and  the  first  course  was 
removed.  The  second  consisted  for  the  most 
part  of  delicacies  in  the  preparation  of  which  his 
artistes  delighted ;  at  this  time  appeared  the 
choclatl,  a  rich,  frothy  beverage  served  in  xicaras, 
or  small  golden  goblets.  Girls,  selected  for  their 
rank  and  beauty,  succeeded  the  boys.  Flocking 
around  him  with  light  and  echoless  feet,  very 
graceful,  very  happy,  theirs  was  indeed  the  service 

1  God  of  the  sea. 


122  THE   FAIR   GOD 

that  awaits  the  faithful  in  Mahomet's  Paradise. 
To  each  of  his  ancients  he  passed  a  goblet  of 
ckoclatl,  then  continued  his  eating  and  talking. 

"Yes.  Be  they  gods  or  men,  I. would  give  a 
province  to  know  their  intention ;  that,  uncles, 
would  enable  me  to  determine  my  policy,  — 
whether  to  give  them  war  or  peace.  As  yet,  they 
have  asked  nothing  but  the  privilege  of  trading 
with  us  ;  and  judging  them  by  our  nations,  I  want 
not  better  warrant  of  friendship.  As  you  know, 
strangers  have  twice  before  been  upon  our  coast 
in  such  canoes,  and  with  such  arms  ; J  and  in 
both  instances  they  sought  gold,  and  getting  it 
they  departed.  Will  these  go  like  them  ?  " 

"  Has  my  master  forgotten  the  words  of  Mua- 
lox?" 

"  To  Mictlan  with  the  paba  !  "  said  the  king, 
violently.  "  He  has  filled  my  cities  and  people 
with  trouble." 

"  Yet  he  is  a  prophet,"  retorted  the  old  coun- 
cilor boldly.  "  How  knew  he  of  the  coming  of 
the  strangers  before  it  was  known  in  the  palace  ?  " 

The  flush  of  the  king's  face  faded. 

"  It  is  a  mystery,  uncle,  —  a  mystery  too  deep 
for  me.  All  the  day  and  night  before  he  was  in 
his  Cu  ;  he- went  not  into  the  city  even." 

"  If  the  wise  master  will  listen  to  the  words  of 
his  slave,  he  will  not  again  curse  the  paba,  but 
make  him  a  friend." 

The  monarch's  lip  curled  derisively. 

1  The  allusion  was  doubtless  to  the  expeditions  of  Hernandez 
de  Cordova,  in  1517,  and  Juan  de  Grijalva,  in  1518. 


WHO    ARE   THE   STRANGERS  123 

"  My  palace  is  now  a  house  of  prayer  and  sober 
life ;  he  would  turn  it  into  a  place  of  revelry." 

All  the  ancients  but  the  one  laughed  at  the 
irony ;  that  one  repeated  his  words. 

"  A  friend  ;  but  how  ?  "  asked  Montezuma. 

"  Call  him  from  the  Cu  to  the  palace ;  let  him 
stand  here  with  us ;  in  the  councils  give  him  a 
voice.  He  can  read  the  future  ;  make  of  him  an 
oracle.  O  king,  who  like  him  can  stand  between 
you  and  Quetzal'  ? " 

For  a  while  Montezuma  toyed  idly  with  the 
xicara.  He  also  believed  in  the  prophetic  gifts 
of  Mualox,  and  it  was  not  the  first  time  he  had 
pondered  the  question  of  how  the  holy  man  had 
learned  the  coming  of  the  strangers  ;  to  satisfy 
himself  as  to  his  means  of  information,  he  had 
even  instituted  inquiries  outside  the  palace.  And 
yet  it  was  but  one  of  several  mysteries  ;  behind 
it,  if  not  superior,  were  the  golden  chamber,  its 
wealth,  and  the  writing  on  the  walls.  They  were 
not  to  be  attributed  to  the  paba :  works  so  won- 
drous could  not  have  been  done  in  one  lifetime. 
They  were  the  handiwork  of  a  god,  who  had 
chosen  Mualox  for  his  servant  and  prophet ;  such 
was  the  judgment  of  the  king. 

Nor  was  that  all.  The  monarch  had  come  to 
believe  that  the  strangers  on  the  coast  were  Que- 
tzal' and  his  followers,  whom  it  were  vain  to  resist, 
if  their  object  was  vengeance.  But  the  human 
heart  is  seldom  without  its  suggestion  of  hope ; 
and  he  thought,  though  resistance  was  impossi- 
ble, might  he  not  propitiate?  This  policy  had 


124  THE   FAIR   GOD 

occupied  his  thoughts,  and  most  likely  without 
result,  for  the  words  of  the  councilor  seemed  wel- 
come. Indeed,  he  could  scarcely  fail  to  recognize 
the  bold  idea  they  conveyed,  —  nothing  less,  in 
fact,  than  meeting  the  god  with  his  own  prophet. 

"Very  well,"  he  said  in  his  heart.  "I  will  use 
the  paba.  He  shall  come  and  stand  between  me 
and  the  woe." 

Then  he  arose,  took  a  string  of  pearls  from  his 
neck,  and  with  his  own  hand  placed  it  around 
that  of  the  ancient. 

"Your  place  is  with  me,  uncle.  I  will  have  a 
chamber  fitted  for  you  here  in  the  palace.  Go  no 
more  away.  Ho,  steward  !  The  supper  is  done  ; 
let  the  pipes  be  brought,  and  give  me  music  and 
dance.  Bid  the  minstrels  come.  A  song  of  the 
olden  time  may  make  me  strong  again." 


A   TEZCUCAN    LOVER 

RACES  of  the  supper  speedily 
disappeared.  The  screen  was 
rolled  away,  and  pipes  placed  in 
the  monarch's  hand  for  distri- 
bution amongst  his  familiars. 
Blue  vapor  began  to  ascend  to 
the  carved  rafters,  when  the 
tapestry  on  both  sides  of  the  room  was  flung 
aside,  and  the  sound  of  cornets  and  flutes  poured 


126  THE   FAIR   GOD 

in  from  an  adjoining  apartment ;  and,  as  if  an- 
swering the  summons  of  the  music,  a  company 
of  dancing-girls  entered,  and  rilled  the  space  in 
front  of  the  monarch  ;  half  nude  were  they,  and 
flashing  with  ornaments,  and  aerial  with  gauze  and 
flying  ribbons  ;  silver  bells  tinkled  with  each  step, 
and  on  their  heads  were  wreaths,  and  in  their 
hands  garlands  of  flowers.  Voluptuous  children 
were  they  of  the  voluptuous  valley. 

Saluting  the  monarch,  they  glided  away,  and 
commenced  a  dance.  With  dreamy,  half -shut 
eyes,  through  the  scented  cloud  momently  deep- 
ening around  him,  he  watched  them ;  and  in  the 
sensuous,  animated  scene  was  disclosed  one  of 
the  enchantments  that  had  weaned  him  from  the 
martial  love  of  his  youth. 

Every  movement  of  the  figure  had  been  care- 
fully studied,  and  a  kind  of  aesthetic  philosophy 
was  blent  with  its  perfect  time  and  elegance  of 
motion.  Slow  and  stately  at  first,  it  gradually 
quickened ;  then,  as  if  to  excite  the  blood  and 
fancy,  it  became  more  mazy  and  voluptuous  ;  and 
finally,  as  that  is  the  sweetest  song  that  ends 
with  a  long  decadence,  it  was  so  concluded  as 
to  soothe  the  transports  itself  had  awakened. 
Sweeping  along,  it  reached  a  point,  a  very  climax 
of  abandon  and  beauty,  in  which  the  dancers  ap- 
peared to  forget  the  music  and  the  method  of  the 
figure  ;  then  the  eyes'of  the  king  shone  brightly, 
and  the  pipe  lingered  on  his  lips  forgotten ;  and 
then  the  musicians  began,  one  by  one,  to  with- 
draw from  the  harmony,  and  the  dancers  to  van- 


A   TEZCUCAN   LOVER  127 

ish  singly  from  the  room,  until,  at  last,  there 
was  but  one  flute  to  be  heard,  while  but  one  girl 
remained.  Finally,  she  also  disappeared,  and  all 
grew  still  again. 

And  the  king  sat  silent  and  listless,  surrendered 
to  the  enjoyment  which  was  the  object  of  the 
diversion ;  yet  he  heard  the  music  ;  yet  he  saw 
the  lithe  and  palpitating  forms  of  the  dancers  in 
posture  and  motion  ;  yet  he  felt  the  sweet  influ- 
ence of  their  youth  and  grace  and  beauty,  not 
as  a  passion,  but  rather  a  spell  full  of  the  sugges- 
tions of  passion,  when  a  number  of  men  came 
noiselessly  in,  and,  kneeling,  saluted  him.  Their 
costume  was  that  of  priests,  and  each  of  them 
carried  an  instrument  of  music  fashioned  some- 
what like  a  Hebrew  lyre. 

"  Ah,  my  minstrels,  my  minstrels ! "  he  said, 
his  face  flushing  with  pleasure.  "  Welcome  in 
the  streets,  welcome  in  the  camp,  welcome  in  the 
palace,  also  !  What  have  you  to-night  ? " 

"When  last  we  were  admitted  to  your  pre- 
sence, O  king,  you  bade  us  compose  hymns  to  the 
god  Quetzal' " 

"  Yes  ;  I  remember." 

"  We  pray  you  not  to  think  ill  of  your  slaves  if 
we  say  that  the  verses  which  come  unbidden  are 
the  best ;  no  song  of  the  bird's  so  beautiful  as 
the  one  it  sings  when  its  heart  is  full." 

The  monarch  sat  up. 

"  Nay,  I  did  not  command.  I  know  something 
of  the  spirit  of  poetry.  It  is  not  a  thing  to  be 
driven  by  the  will,  like  a  canoe  by  a  strong  arm  ; 


128  THE   FAIR   GOD 

neither  is  it  a  slave,  to  come  or  go  at  a  signal.  I 
bid  my  warriors  march  ;  I  order  the  sacrifice  ;  but 
the  lays  of  my  minstrels  have  ever  been  of  their 
free  will.  Leave  me  now.  To  you  are  my  gar- 
dens and  palaces.  I  warrant  the  verses  you  have 
are  good  ;  but  go  ask  your  hearts  for  better." 

They  retired  with  their  faces  toward  him  until 
hidden  behind  the  tapestry. 

"I  love  a  song,  uncles,"  continued  the  king; 
"  I  love  a  hymn  to  the  gods,  and  a  story  of  battle 
chanted  in  a  deep  voice.  In  the  halls  of  the  Sun 
every  soul  is  a  minstrel,  and  every  tale  a  song. 
But  let  them  go ;  it  is  well  enough.  I  promised 
ItzliT,  the  Tezcucan,  to  give  him  audience  to-night. 
He  comes  to  the  palace  but  seldom,  and  he  has 
not  asked  a  favor  since  I  settled  his  quarrel  with 
the  lord  Cacama.  Send  one  to  see  if  he  is  now 
at  the  door." 

Thereupon  he  fell  to  reflecting  and  smoking  ; 
and  when  next  he  spoke,  it  was  from  the  midst  of 
an  aromatic  cloud. 

"I  loved  the  wise  'Hualpilli ;  for  his  sake,  I 
would  have  his  children  happy.  He  was  a  lover 
of  peace,  and  gave  more  to  policy  than  to  war. 
It  were  grievous  to  let  his  city  be  disturbed  by 
feuds  and  fighting  men ;  therefore  I  gave  it  to  the 
eldest  son.  His  claim  was  best ;  and,  besides,  he 
has  the  friendly  heart  to  serve  me.  Still  —  still, 
I  wish  there  had  been  two  Tezcucos." 

"There  was  but  one  voice  about  the  judgment 
in  Tezcuco,  O  king ;  the  citizens  all  said  it  was 
just." 


A   TEZCUCAN   LOVER  129 

"  And  they  would  have  said  the  same  if  I  had 
given  them  IztliF.  I  know  the  knaves,  uncle.  It 
was  not  their  applause  I  cared  for ;  but,  you  see, 
in  gaining  a  servant,  I  lost  one.  Iztlil'  is  a  warrior. 
Had  he  the  will,  he  could  serve  me  in  the  field  as 
well  as  his  brother  in  the  council.  I  must  attach 
him  to  me.  A  strong  arm  is  pleasant  to  lean  on  ; 
it  is  better  than  a  staff." 

Addressing  himself  to  the  pipe  again,  he  sat 
smoking,  and  moodily  observing  the  vapor  vanish 
above  him.  There  was  silence  until  Iztlil'  was 
ushered  in. 

The  cacique  was  still  suffering  from  his  wounds. 
His  step  was  feeble,  so  that  his  obeisance  was 
stopped  by  the  monarch  himself. 

"  Let  the  salutation  go,  my  lord  Iztlil'.  Your 
courage  has  cost  you  much.  I  remember  you  are 
the  son  of  my  old  friend,  and  bid  you  welcome." 

"The  Tlascalans  are  good  warriors,"  said  the 
Tezcucan  coldly. 

"And  for  that  reason  better  victims,"  added 
the  king  quickly.  "By  the  Sun,  I  know  not  what 
we  would  do  without  them.  Their  hills  supply 
our  temples." 

"And  I,  good  king  —  I  am  but  a  warrior.  My 
heart  is  not  softened  by  things  pertaining  to  re- 
ligion. Enough  for  me  to  worship  the  gods." 

"Then  you  are  not  a  student  ?  " 

"  I  never  studied  in  the  academies." 

"  I  understand,"  said  the  king,  with  a  low  laugh. 
"  You  cannot  name  as  many  stars  as  enemies 
whom  you  have  slain.  No  matter.  I  have  places 


130  THE  FAIR  GOD 

for  such  scholars.  Have  you  commanded  an 
army  ? " 

"  It  pleased  you  to  give  me  that  confidence.  I 
led  my  companies  within  the  Tlascalan  wall,  and 
came  back  with  captives." 

"  I  recollect  now.  But  as  most  good  warriors 
are  modest,  my  son,  I  will  not  tell  you  what  the 
chiefs  said  of  your  conduct ;  you  would  blush  "  — 

Iztlil'  started. 

"  Content  you,  content  you  ;  your  blush  would 
not  be  for  shame." 

There  was  a  pause,  which  the  king  gave  to  his 
pipe.  Suddenly  he  said,  "  There  have  been 
tongues  busy  with  your  fame,  my  son.  I  have 
heard  you  were  greatly  dissatisfied  because  I  gave 
your  father's  city  to  your  elder  brother.  But  I 
consider  that  men  are  never  without  detractors, 
and  I  cannot  forget  that  you  have  periled  your 
life  for  the  gods.  Actions  I  accept  as  the  proofs 
of  will.  If  the  favor  that  brought  you  here  be 
reasonable,  it  is  yours  for  the  asking.  I  have  the 
wish  to  serve  you." 

"  I  am  not  surprised  that  I  have  enemies,"  said 
Iztlil'  calmly.  "I  will  abuse  no  one  on  that 
account ;  for  I  am  an  enemy,  and  can  forgive 
in  others  what  I  deem  virtue  in  myself.  But  it 
moves  me  greatly,  O  king,  that  my  enemies 
should  steal  into  your  palace,  and,  in  my  absence, 
wrong  me  in  your  opinion.  But  pardon  me ;  I 
did  not  come  to  defend  myself  "  — 

"  You  have  taken  my  words  in  an  evil  sense," 
interposed  the  king,  with  an  impatient  gesture. 


A    TEZCUCAN   LOVER  131 

"  Or  to  conceal  the  truth,"  the  Tezcucan  con- 
tinued. "  There  is  kingly  blood  in  me,  and  I  dare 
speak  as  my  father's  son.  So  if  they  said  merely 
that  I  was  dissatisfied  with  your  judgment,  they 
said  truly." 

Montezuma  frowned. 

"  I  intend  my  words  to  be  respectful,  most 
mighty  king.  A  common  wisdon  teaches  us  to 
respect  the  brave  man  and  dread  the  coward. 
And  there  is  not  in  your  garden  a  flower  as 
beautiful,  nor  in  your  power  a  privilege  as  pre- 
cious, as  free  speech ;  and  it  would  sound  ill  of 
one  so  great  and  secure  as  my  father's  friend  if 
he  permitted  in  the  streets  and  in  the  farmer's 
hut  what  he  forbade  in  his  palace.  I  spoke  of 
dissatisfaction ;  but  think  not  it  was  because  you 
gave  Tezcuco  to  my  brother,  and  to  me  the  bare 
hills  that  have  scarcely  herbage  enough  for  a  wolf- 
covert.  I  am  less  a  prince  than  a  warrior ;  all 
places  are  alike  to  me  ;  the  earth  affords  me  royal 
slumber,  while  no  jeweled  canopy  is  equal  to  the 
starred  heavens ;  and  as  there  is  a  weakness  in 
pleasant  memories,  I  have  none.  To  such  as  I 
am,  O  king,  what  matters  a  barren  hill  or  a  proud 
palace  ?  I  murmured,  nay,  I  did  more,  because, 
in  judging  my  quarrel,  you  overthrew  the  inde- 
pendence of  my  country.  When  my  father  visited 
you  from  across  the  lake,  he  was  not  accustomed 
to  stand  before  you,  or  hide  his  kingly  robes 
beneath  a  slave's  garb." 

Montezuma  half  started  from  his  seat.  "  Holy 
gods  !  Is  rebellion  so  bold  ?" 


132  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"I  meant  no  disrespect,  great  king.  I  only 
sought  to  justify  myself,  and  in  your  royal  pre- 
sence say  what  I  have  thought  while  fighting 
under  your  banner.  But,  without  more  abuse  of 
your  patience,  I  will  to  my  purpose,  especially  as 
I  came  for  peace  and  friendship." 

"The  son  of  my  friend  forgets  that  I  have 
ways  to  make  peace  without  treating  for  it,"  said 
the  king. 

The  Tezcucan  smothered  an  angry  reply. 

"  By  service  done  I  have  shown  a  disposition 
to  serve  you,  O  king.  Very  soon  every  warrior 
will  be  needed.  A  throne  may  be  laid  amid  hymns 
and  priestly  prayers,  yet  have  no  strength ;  to 
endure,  it  must  rest  upon  the  allegiance  of  love. 
Though  I  have  spoken  unpleasant  words,  I  came 
to  ask  that,  by  a  simple  boon,  you  give  me  cause 
to  love.  I  have  reflected  that  I,  too,  am  of  royal 
blood,  and,  as  the  son  of  a  king,  may  lead  your 
armies,  and  look  for  alliance  in  your  house.  By 
marriage,  O  king,  I  desire,  come  good  or  evil,  to 
link  my  fortune  to  yours." 

Montezuma's  countenance  was  stolid  ;  no  eye 
could  have  detected  upon  it  so  much  as  surprise. 
He  quietly  asked,  "Which  of  my  daughters  has 
found  favor  in  your  eyes  ?  " 

"They  are  all  beautiful,  but  only  one  of  them 
is  fitted  for  a  warrior's  wife." 

"Tula?" 

Iztlu"  bowed. 

'     "She   is   dear   to  me,"  said  the  king    softly, 
"  dearer  than  a  city  ;  she  is  holy  as  a  temple,  and 


A   TEZCUCAN   LOVER  133 

lovelier  than  the  morning ;  her  voice  is  sweet  as 
the  summer  wind,  and  her  presence  as  the 
summer  itself.  Have  you  spoken  to  her  of  this 
thing?  " 

"  I  love  her,  so  that  her  love  is  nothing  to  me. 
Her  feelings  are  her  own,  but  she  is  yours ;  and 
you  are  more  powerful  to  give  than  she  to  with- 
hold." 

"Well,  well,"  said  the  monarch,  after  a  little 
thought ;  "  in  my  realm  there  are  none  of  better 
quality  than  the  children  of  'Hualpilli,— none 
from  whom  such  demand  is  as  proper.  Yet  it  is 
worthy  deliberation.  It  is  true,  I  have  the  power 
to  bestow,  but  there  are  others  who  have  the  right 
to  be  consulted.  I  study  the  happiness  of  my 
people,  and  it  were  unnatural  if  I.  cared  less  for 
that  of  my  children.  So  leave  me  now,  but  take 
with  you,  brave  prince,  the  assurance  that  I  am 
friendly  to  your  suit.  The  gods  go  with  you  ! " 

And  Iztlil',  after  a  low  obeisance,  withdrew ; 
and  then  the  overture  was  fully  discussed.  Mon- 
tezuma  spoke  freely,  welcoming  the  opportunity 
of  securing  the  bold,  free-spoken  cacique,  and 
seeing  in  the  demand  only  a  question  of  policy. 
As  might  be  expected,  the  ancients  made  no  op- 
position ;  they  could  see  no  danger  in  the  alliance, 
and  had  no  care  for  the  parties.  It  was  policy. 


Ill 


THE   BANISHMENT   OF  GUATAMOZIN 

HE  palace  of  Montezuma  was  re- 
garded as  of  very  great  sanctity,  so 
that  his  household,  its  economy,  and 
the  exact  relation  its  members  bore 
to  each  other  were  mysteries  to  the  public. 
From  the  best  information,  however,  it  would 
seem  that  he  had  two  lawful  and  acknowledged 
wives,  the  queens  Tecalco  and  Acatlan,1  who, 

1  These  are  the  proper  names  of  the  queens.    MSS.  of  Munoz. 
Also,  note  to  Prescott,  Conq.  of  Mexico,  vol.  ii.  p.  351. 


THE    BANISHMENT   OF   GUATAMOZIN       135 

with  their  families,  occupied  spacious  apartments 
secure  from  intrusion.  They  were  good-looking, 
middle-aged  women,  whom  the  monarch  honored 
with  the  highest  respect  and  confidence.  By  the 
first  one,  he  had  a  son  and  a  daughter ;  by  the 
second,  two  daughters. 

"  Help  me,  Acatlan  !  I  appeal  to  your  friend- 
ship, to  the  love  you  bear  your  children,  —  help 
me  in  my  trouble."  So  the  queen  Tecalco  prayed 
the  queen  Acatlan  in  the  palace  the  morning  after 
the  audience  given  the  Tezcucan  by  the  king. 

The  two  were  sitting  in  a  room  furnished  with 
some  taste.  Through  the  great  windows,  shaded 
by  purple  curtains,  streamed  the  fresh  breath  of 
the  early  day.  There  were  female  slaves  around 
them  in  waiting ;  while  a  boy  nearly  grown,  at 
the  eastern  end  of  the  apartment,  was  pitching 
the  golden  balls  in  totoloquc.  This  was  prince 
Io',  the  brother  of  Tula,  and  son  of  Tecalco. 

"  What  is  the  trouble  ?  What  can  I  do  ? "  asked 
Acatlan. 

"  Listen  to  me,"  said  Tecalco.  "  The  king  has 
just  gone.  He  came  in  better  mood  than  usual, 
and  talked  pleasantly.  Something  had  happened  ; 
some  point  of  policy  had  been  gained.  Nowadays, 
you  know,  he  talks  and  thinks  of  nothing  but 
policy ;  formerly  it  was  all  of  war.  We  cannot 
deny,  Acatlan,  that  he  is  much  changed.  Well, 
he  played  a  game  with  Io',  then  sat  down,  saying 
he  had  news  which  he  thought  would  please  me. 
You  will  hardly  believe  it,  but  he  said  that  Iztlil', 
the  proud  Tezcucan,  asked  Tula  in  marriage  last 


136  THE   FAIR   GOD 

night.  Think  of  it !  Tula,  my  blossom,  my  soul ! 
and  to  that  vile  cacique !  " 

"Well,  he  is  brave,  and  the  son  of  "Hualpilli," 
said  Acatlan. 

"What!  You!"  said  Tecalco  despairingly. 
"  Do  you,  too,  turn  against  me  ?  I  do  not  like 
him,  and  would  not  if  he  were  the  son  of  a  god. 
Tula  hates  him  !  " 

"  I  will  not  turn  against  you,  Tecalco.  Be 
calmer,  and  tell  me  what  more  the  king  said." 

"  I  told  him  I  was  surprised,  but  not  glad  to 
hear  the  news.  He  frowned,  and  paced  the  floor, 
now  here,  now  there.  I  was  frightened,  but  could 
bear  his  anger  better  than  the  idea  of  my  Tula, 
so  good,  so  beautiful,  the  wife  of  the  base  Tez- 
cucan.  He  said  the  marriage  must  go  on ;  it 
was  required  by  policy,  and  would  help  quiet  the 
Empire,  which  was  never  so  threatened.  You 
will  hardly  believe  I  ventured  to  tell  him  that  it 
should  not  be,  as  Tula  was  already  contracted  to 
Guatamozin.  I  supposed  that  announcement 
would  quiet  the  matter,  but  it  only  enraged  him  ; 
he  spoke  bitterly  of  the  'tzin.  I  could  scarcely 
believe  my  ears.  He  used  to  love  him.  What 
has  happened  to  change  his  feeling? " 

Acatlan  thrummed  her  pretty  mouth  with  her 
fingers,  and  thought  awhile. 

"  Yes,  I  have  heard  some  stories  about  the 
'tzin"  - 

"  Indeed  ! "  said  Tecalco,  opening  her  eyes. 

"He  too  has  changed,  as  you  may  have  ob- 
served," continued  Acatlan.  "He  used  to  be 


THE  BANISHMENT  OF   GUATAMOZIN        137 

gay  and  talkative,  fond  of  company,  and  dance  ; 
latterly,  he  stays  at  home,  and  when  abroad, 
mopes,  and  is  silent ;  while  we  all  know  that  no 
great  private  or  public  misfortune  has  happened 
him.  The  king  appears  to  have  noticed  it.  And, 
my  dear  sister," — the  queen  lowered  her  voice 
to  a  confidential  whisper,  —  "  they  say  the  'tzin 
aspires  to  the  throne." 

"  What !  Do  you  believe  it  ?  Does  the  king  ?  " 
cried  Tecalco,  more  in  anger  than  surprise. 

"  I  believe  nothing  yet,  though  there  are  some 
grounds  for  his  accusers  to  go  upon.  They  say 
he  entertains  at  his  palace  near  Iztapalapan  none 
but  men  of  the  army,  and  that  while  in  Terioch- 
titlan,  he  studies  the  favor  of  the  people,  and  uses 
his  wealth  to  win  popularity  with  all  classes.  In- 
deed, Tecalco,  somehow  the  king  learned  that,  on 
the  day  of  the  celebration  of  Quetzal',  the  'tzin 
was  engaged  in  a  direct  conspiracy  against  him." 

"  It  is  false,  Acatlan,  it  is  false  !  The  king  has 
not  a  more  faithful  subject.  I  know  the  'tzin. 
He  is  worth  a  thousand  of  the  Tezcucan,  who  is 
himself  the  traitor."  And  the  vexed  queen  beat 
the  floor  with  her  sandaled  foot. 

"As  to  that,  Tecalco,  I  know  nothing.  But 
what  more  from  the  king  ?  " 

"  He  told  me  that  Tula  should  never  marry  the 
'tzin ;  he  would  use  all  his  power  against  it ;  he 
would  banish  him  from  the  city  first.  And  his 
rage  increased  until,  finally,  he  swore  by  the  gods 
he  .would  order  a  banquet,  and,  in  presence  of  all 
the  lords  of  the  Empire,  publicly  betroth  Tula 


138  THE    FAIR   GOD 

and  the  Tezcucan.  He  said  he  would  do  any- 
thing the  safety  of  the  throne  and  the  gods  re- 
quired of  him.  He  never  was  so  angry.  And 
that,  O  Acatlan,  my  sister,  that  is  my  trouble. 
How  can  I  save  my  child  from  such  a  horrid 
betrothal  ? " 

Acatlan  shook  her  head  gloomily.  "The  king 
brooks  defeat  better  than  opposition.  We  would 
not  be  safe  to  do  anything  openly.  I  acknowledge 
myself  afraid,  and  unable  to  advise  you." 

Tecalco  burst  into  tears,  and  wrung  her  hands, 
overcome  by  fear  and  rage.  Io'  then  left  his 
game,  and  came  to  her.  He  was  not  handsome, 
being  too  large  for  his  years,  and  ungraceful ; 
this  tendency  to  homeliness  was  increased  by  the 
smallness  of  his  face  and  head ;  the  features 
were  actually  childish. 

"  Say  no  more,  mother,"  he  said,  tears  standing 
in  his  eyes,  as  if  to  prove  his  sympathy  and  kind- 
liness. "  You  know  it  would  be  better  to  play 
with  the  tigers  than  stir  the  king  to  anger." 

"Ah,  Io',  what  shall  I  do  ?  I  always  heard 
you  speak  well  of  the  'tzin.  You  loved  him  once." 

"And  I  love  him  yet." 

Tecalco  was  less  pacified  than  ever. 

"  What  would  I  not  give  to  know  who  set  the 
king  so  against  him !  Upon  the  traitor  be  the 
harm  there  is  in  a  mother's  curse !  If  my  child 
must  be  sacrificed,  let  it  be  by  a  priest,  and  as  a 
victim  to  the  gods." 

"  Do  not  speak  so.  Be  wise,  Tecalco.  Recol- 
lect such  sorrows  belong  to  our  rank." 


THE   BANISHMENT   OF  GUATAMOZIN       139 

"  Our  rank,  Acatlan !  I  can  forget  it  sooner 
than  that  I  am  a  mother !  Oh,  you  do  not  know 
how  long  I  have  nursed  the  idea  of  wedding  Tula 
to  the  'tzin  !  Since  their  childhood  I  have  prayed, 
plotted,  and  hoped  for  it.  With  what  pride  I 
have  seen  them  grow  up,  —  he  so  brave,  generous, 
and  princely,  she  so  staid  and  beautiful !  I  have 
never  allowed  her  to  think  of  other  destiny :  the 
gods  made  them  for  each  other." 

"Mother,"  said  Io'  thoughtfully,  "I  have  heard 
you  say  that  Guatamozin  was  wise.  Why  not 
send  him  word  of  what  has  happened,  and  put  our 
trust  in  him  ? " 

The  poor  queen  caught  at  the  suggestion  ea- 
gerly ;  for  with  a  promise  of  aid,  at  the  same  time 
it  relieved  her  of  responsibility,  of  all  burthens 
the  most  dreadful  to  a  woman.  And  Acatlan, 
really  desirous  of  helping  her  friend,  but  at  a 
loss  for  a  plan,  and  terrified  by  the  idea  of  the 
monarch's  wrath  incurred,  wondered  they  had  not 
thought  of  the  proposal  sooner,  and  urged  the 
'tzin's  right  to  be  informed  of  the  occurrence. 

"There  must  be  secrecy,  Tecalco.  The  king 
must  never  know  us  as  traitors :  that  would  be 
our  ruin." 

"There  shall  be  no  danger;  I  can  go  myself," 
said  Io'.  "  It  is  long  since  I  was  at  Iztapalapan, 
and  they  say  the  'tzin  has  such  beautiful  gardens. 
I  want  to  see  the  three  kings  who  hold  torches  in 
his  hall ;  I  want  to  try  a  bow  with  him." 

After  some  entreaty,  Tecalco  assented.  She 
required  him,  however,  to  put  on  a  costume  less 


140  THE    FAIR   GOD 

likely  to  attract  attention,  and  take  some  other 
than  a  royal  canoe  across  the  lake.  Half  an  hour 
later,  he  passed  out  of  a  garden  gate,  and,  by  a 
circuitous  route,  hurried  to  the  canal  in  which 
lay  the  vessels  of  the  Iztapalapan  watermen.  He 
found  one,  and  was  bargaining  with  its  owner, 
when  a  young  man  walked  briskly  up,  and  stepped 
into  a  canoe  close  by.  Something  in  the  gay  dress 
of  the  stranger  made  Io'  look  at  him  a  second 
time,  and  he  was  hardly  less  pleased  than  sur- 
prised at  being  addressed,  — 

"  Ho,  friend !  I  am  going  to  your  city.  Save 
your  cocoa,  and  go  with  me." 

Io'  was  confused. 

"  Come  on ! "  the  stranger  persisted,  with  a 
pleasant  smile.  "  Come  on !  I  want  company. 
You  were  never  so  welcome." 

The  smile  decided  the  boy.  He  set  one  foot  in 
the  vessel,  but  instantly  retreated  —  an  ocelot, 
crouched  in  the  bottom,  raised  its  round  head, 
and  stared  fixedly  at  him.  The  stranger  laughed, 
and  reassured  him,  after  which  he  walked  boldly 
forward.  Then  the  canoe  swung  from  its  moor- 
ing, and  in  a  few  minutes,  under  the  impulsion  of 
three  strong  slaves,  went  flying  down  the  canal. 
Under  bridges,  through  incoming  flotillas,  and 
past  the  great  houses  on  either  hand  they  darted, 
until  the  city  was  left  behind,  and  the  lake, 
colored  with  the  borrowed  blue  of  the  sky,  spread 
out  rich  and  billowy  before  them.  The  eyes  of 
the  stranger  brightened  at  the  prospect. 

"  I  like  this.     By  Our  Mother  I  like  it !  "  he 


THE   BANISHMENT   OF   GUATAMOZIN        141 

said  earnestly.  "  We  have  lakes  in  Tihuanco  on 
which  I  have  spent  days  riding  waves  and  spearing 
fish  ;  but  they  were  dull  to  this.  See  the  stretch 
of  the  water !  Look  yonder  at  the  villages,  and 
here  at  the  city  and  Chapultepec  !  Ah,  that  you 
were  born  in  Tenochtitlan  be  proud.  There  is  no 
grander  birthplace  this  side  of  the  Sun ! " 

"  I  am  an  Aztec,"  said  Io',  moved  by  the  words. 

The  other  smiled,  and  added,  "Why  not  go 
further,  and  say,  'and  son  of  the  king.'  " 

Io'  was  startled. 

"  Surprised  !  Good  prince,  I  am  a  hunter.  From 
habit,  I  observe  everything;  a  track,  a  tree,  a 
place,  once  seen  is  never  forgotten ;  and  since  I 
came  to  the  city,  the  night  before  the  combat  of 
Quetzal',  the  habit  has  not  left  me.  That  day 
you  were  seated  under  the  red  canopy,  with  the 
princesses  Tula  and  Nenetzin.  So  I  came  to  know 
the  king's  son." 

"  Then  you  saw  the  combat  ?  " 

"  And  how  brave  it  was  !  There  never  was  its 
match,  —  never  such  archery  as  the  'tzin's.  Then 
the  blow  with  which  he  killed  the  Othmi !  I  only 
regretted  that  the  Tezcucan  escaped.  I  do  not 
like  him  ;  he'is  envious  and  spiteful ;  it  would  have 
been  better  had  he  fallen  instead  of  the  Otompan. 
You  know  Iztlil'  ?  " 

"  Not  to  love  him,"  said  Io'. 

"  Is  he  like  the  'tzin  ?  " 

"Not  at  all." 

"So  I  have  heard,"  said  the  hunter,  shrugging 
his  shoulders.  "  But  —  Down,  fellow !  "  he  cried 


142  THE   FAIR   GOD 

to  the  ocelot,  whose  approaches  discomposed  the 
prince.  "  I  was  going  to  say,"  he  resumed,  with 
a  look  which,  as  an  invitation  to  confidence,  was 
irresistible,  "  that  there  is  no  reason  why  you  and 
I  should  not  be  friends.  We  are  both  going  to 
see  the  'tzin"- 

Io'  was  again  much  confused. 

"  I  only  heard  you  say  so  to  the  waterman  on  the 
landing.  If  your  visit,  good  prince,  was  intended 
as  a  secret,  you  are  a  careless  messenger.  But 
have  no  fear.  I  intend  entering  the  'tzin's  service  ; 
that  is,  if  he  will  take  me." 

"Is  the  'tzin  enlisting  men  ? "  asked  Io'. 

"No.  I  am  merely  weary  of  hunting.  My 
father  is  a  good  merchant  whose  trading  life  is  too 
tame  for  me.  I  love  excitement.  Even  hunting 
deer  and  chasing  wolves  are  too  tame.  I  will  now 
try  war,  and  there  is  but  one  whom  I  care  to 
follow.  Together  we  will  see  and  talk  to  him." 

"You  speak  as  if  you  were  used  to  arms." 

"  My  skill  may  be  counted  nothing.  I  seek  the 
service  more  from  what  I  imagine  it  to  be.  The 
march,  the  camp,  the  battle,  the  taking  captives, 
the  periling  life,  when  it  is  but  a  secondary  object, 
as  it  must  be  with  every  warrior  of  true  ambition, 
all  have  charms  for  my  fancy.  Besides,  I  am  dis- 
contented with  my  condition.  I  want  honor,  rank, 
and  command,  —  wealth  I  have.  Hence,  for  me, 
the  army  is  the  surest  road.  Beset  with  trials 
and  needing  a  good  heart  and  arm,  yet  it  travels 
upward,  upward,  and  that  is  all  I  seek  to  know." 

The  na'ivet6  and  enthusiasm  of  the  hunter  were 


THE   BANISHMENT   OF   GUATAMOZIN       143 

new  and  charming  to  the  prince,  who  was  im- 
pelled to  study  him  once  more.  He  noticed  how 
exactly  the  arms  were  rounded  ;  that  the  neck  was 
long,  muscular,  and  widened  at  the  base,  like  the 
trunk  of  an  oak ;  that  the  features,  excited  by 
the  passing  feeling,  were  noble  and  good  ;  that  the 
very  carriage  of  the  head  was  significant  of  apti- 
tude for  brave  things,  if  not  command.  Could 
the  better  gods  have  thrown  Io'  in  such  company 
for  self-comparison  ?  Was  that  the  time  they  had 
chosen  to  wake  within  him  the  longings  of  mind 
naturalto  coming  manhood  ?  He  felt  the  inspira- 
tion of  an  idea  new  to  him.  All  his  life  had  been 
passed  in  the  splendid  monotony  of  his  father's 
palace  ;  he  had  been  permitted  merely  to  hear  of 
war,  and  that  from  a  distance ;  of  the  noble 
passion  for  arms  he  knew  nothing.  Accustomed 
to  childish  wants,  with  authority  to  gratify  them, 
ambition  for  power  had  not  yet  disturbed  him. 
But,  as  he  listened,  it  was  given  him  to  see  the 
emptiness  of  his  past  life,  and  understand  the 
advantages  he  already  possessed  ;  he  said  to  him- 
self, "Am  I  not  master  of  grade  and  opportunities, 
so  coveted  by  this  unknown  hunter,  and  so  far 
above  his  reach  ?  "  In  that  moment  the  content- 
ment which  had  canopied  his  existence,  like  a 
calm  sky,  full  of  stars  and  silence  and  peace, 
was  taken  up,  and  whirled  away;  his  spirit 
strengthened  with  a  rising  ambition  and  a  courage 
royally  descended. 

"You  are  going  to  study   with  the    'tzin.     I 
would  like  to  be  your  comrade,"  he  said. 


144  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"  I  accept  you,  I  give  you  my  heart !  "  replied 
the  hunter,  with  beaming  face.  "  We  will  march, 
and  sleep,  and  fight,  and  practice  together.  I 
will  be  true  to  you  as  shield  to  the  warrior. 
Hereafter,  O  prince,  when  you  would  speak  of 
me,  call  me  Hualpa ;  and  if  you  would  make  me 
happy,  say  of  me,  '  He  is  my  comrade '  !  " 

The  sun  stood  high  in  the  heavens  when  they 
reached  the  landing.  Mounting  a  few  steps  that 
led  from  the  water's  edge,  they  found  themselves 
in  a  garden  rich  with  flowers,  beautiful  trees,  run- 
ning streams,  and  trellised  summer-houses,  —  the 
garden  of  a  prince,  —  of  Guatamozin,  the  true 
hero  of  his  country. 


IV 


GUATAMOZIN   AT   HOME 

UATAMOZIN  inherited  a 
great  fortune,  ducal  rank, 
and  an  estate  near  Iztapa- 
lapan.  Outside  the  city, 
midst  a  garden  that  ex- 
tended for  miles  around, 
stood  his  palace,  built  in 
the  prevalent  style,  one  story  high,  but  broad  and 
wide  enough  to  comfortably  accommodate  several 
thousand  men.  His  retainers,  a  legion  in  them- 


146  THE    FAIR   GOD 

selves,  inhabited  it  for  the  most  part ;  and  whether 
soldier,  artisan,  or  farmer,  each  had  his  quarters, 
his  exclusive  possession  as  against  every  one  but 
the  'tzin. 

The  garden  was  almost  entirely  devoted  to  the 
cultivation  of  fruits  and  flowers.  Hundreds  of 
slaves,  toiling  there  constantly  under  tasteful 
supervision,  made  and  kept  if  beautiful  past 
description.  Rivulets  of  pure  water,  spanned  by 
bridges  and  bordered  with  flowers,  ran  through 
every  part  over  beds  of  sand  yellow  as  gold.  The 
paths  frequently  led  to  artificial  lagoons,  delight- 
ful for  the  coolness  that  lingered  about  them, 
when  the  sun  looked  with  his  burning  eye  down 
upon  the  valley ;  for  they  were  fringed  with  wil- 
low and  sycamore  trees,  all  clad  with  vines  as 
with  garments  ;  and  some  were  further  garnished 
with  little  islands,  plumed  with  palms,  and  made 
attractive  by  kiosks.  Nor  were  these  all.  Foun- 
tains and  cascades  filled  the  air  with  sleepy  songs  ; 
orange-groves  rose  up,  testifying  to  the  clime  they 
adorned ;  and  in  every  path  small  tenles,  on  ped- 
estals of  stone,  so  mingled  religion  with  the  love- 
liness that  there  could  be  no  admiration  without 
worship. 

Io'  and  Hualpa,  marveling  at  the  beauty  they 
beheld,  pursued  a  path,  strewn  with  white  sand, 
and  leading  across  the  garden,  to  the  palace.  A 
few  armed  men  loitered  about  the  portal,  but 
allowed  them  to  approach  without  question.  From 
the  antechamber  they  sent  their  names  to  the 
'tzin,  and  directly  the  slave  returned  with  word  to 
Io'  to  follow  him. 


GUATAMOZIN   AT   HOME  147 

The  study  into  which  the  prince  was  presently 
shown  was  furnished  with  severe  plainness.  An 
arm-chair,  if  such  it  may  be  called,  some  rude 
tables  and  uncushioned  benches,  offered  small 
encouragement  to  idleness. 

Sand,  glittering  like  crushed  crystal,  covered 
the  floor,  and,  instead  of  tapestry,  the  walls  were 
hung  with  maps  of  the  Empire,  and  provinces  the 
most  distant.  Several  piles  of  MSS.,  — the  books 
of  the  Aztecs,  —  with  parchment  and  writing- 
materials,  lay  on  a  table ;  and  half  concealed 
amongst  them  was  a  harp,  such  as  we  have  seen 
in  the  hands  of  the  royal  minstrels. 

"  Welcome,  Io',  welcome !  "  said  the  'tzin,  in 
his  full  voice.  "  You  have  come  at  length,  after 
so  many  promises,  —  come  last  of  all  my  friends. 
When  you  were  here  before,  you  were  a  child, 
and  I  a  boy  like  you  now.  Let  us  go  and  talk  it 
over."  And  leading  him  to  a  bench  by  a  window, 
they  sat  down. 

"  I  remember  the  visit,"  said  Io'.  "  It  was 
many  years  ago.  You  were  studying  then,  and  I 
find  you  studying  yet." 

A  serious  thought  rose  to  the  'tzin's  mind,  and 
his  smile  was  clouded. 

"  You  do  not  understand  me,  Io'.  Shut  up  in 
your  father's  palace,  your  life  is  passing  too 
dreamily.  The  days  with  you  are  like  waves  of 
the  lake :  one  rolls  up,  and,  scarcely  murmuring, 
breaks  on  the  shore  ;  another  succeeds,  —  that  is 
/all.  Hear,  and  believe  me.  He  who  would  be 
wise  must  study.  There  are  many  who  live  for 


148  THE   FAIR   GOD 

themselves,  a  few  who  live  for  their  race.  Of  the 
first  class,  no  thought  is  required  ;  they  eat,  sleep, 
are  merry,  and  die,  and  have  no  hall  in  heaven  : 
but  the  second  must  think,  toil,  and  be  patient ; 
they  must  know,  and,  if  possible,  know  every- 
thing. God  and  ourselves  are  the  only  sources 
of  knowledge.  I  would  not  have  you  despise 
humanity,  but  all  that  is  from  ourselves  is  soon 
learned.  There  is  but  one  inexhaustible  foun- 
tain of  intelligence,  and  that  is  Nature,  the  God 
Supreme.  See  those  volumes  ;  they  are  of  men, 
full  of  wisdom,  but  nothing  original ;  they  are 
borrowed  from  the  book  of  deity,  —  the  always- 
opened  book,  of  which  the  sky  is  one  chapter,  and 
earth  the  other.  Very  deep  are  the  lessons  of 
life  and  heaven  there  taught.  I  confess  to  you, 
Io',  that  I  aspire  to  be  of  those  whose  lives  are 
void  of  selfishness,  who  live  for  others,  for  their 
country.  Your  father's  servant,  I  would  serve 
him  understandingly ;  to  do  so,  I  must  be  wise ; 
and  I  cannot  be  wise  without  patient  study.'^x 

lo's  unpracticed  mind  but  half  understood  the 
philosophy  to  which  he  listened ;  but  when  the 
'tzin  called  himself  his  father's  servant,  Acatlan's 
words  recurred  to  the  boy. 

"  O  'tzin,"  he  said,  "they  are  not  all  like  you, 
so  good,  so  true.  There  have  been  some  telling 
strange  stories  about  you  to  the  king." 

"  About  me  ?  " 

"They  say  you  want  to  be  king," — the  listen- 
er's face  was  passive,  —  "and  that  on  Quetzal's 
day  you  were  looking  for  opportunity  to  attack 


GUATAMOZIN   AT   HOME  M9 

my  father."  Still  there  was  no  sign  of  emotion. 
"  Ytmr  staying  at  home,  they  say,  is  but  a  pre- 
tense to  cover  your  designs." 

"  And  what  more,  Io'  ?  " 

"They  say  you  are  taking  soldiers  into  your 
pay  ;  that  you  give  money,  and  practice  all  man- 
ner of  arts,  to  become  popular  in  Tenochtitlan ; 
and  that  your  delay  in  entering  the  arena  on  the 
day  of  the  combat  had  something  to  do  with  your 
conspiracy." 

For  a  moment  the  noble  countenance  of  the 
'tzin  was  disturbed. 

"  A  lying  catalogue  !     But  is  that  all  ?  " 

" No,"  —  and  lo's  voice  trembled,  —  "I  am  a 
secret  messenger  from  the  queen  Tecalco,  my 
mother.  She  bade  me  say  to  you,  that  last  night 
IzthT,  the  Tezcucan,  had  audience  with  the  king, 
and  asked  Tula  for  his  wife." 

Guatamozin  sprang  from  his  seat  more  pallid 
than  ever  in  battle. 

"  And  what  said  Montezuma  ?  " 

"This  morning  he  came  to  the  queen,  my 
mother,  and  told  her  about  it  ;  on  your  account 
she  objected  ;  but  he  became  angry,  spoke  harshly 
of  you,  and  swore  Tula  should  not  wed  with  you ; 
he  would  banish  you  first." 

Through  the  silent  cell  the  'tzin  strode  gloom- 
ily ;  the  blow  weakened  him.  Mualox  was  wrong  ; 
men  cannot  make  themselves  almost  gods ;  by 
having  many  ills,  and  bearing  them  bravely,  they 
car  only  become  heroes.  After  a  long  struggle 
he  resumed  his  calmness  and  seat. 


15°  THE   FAIR  GOD 

"What  more  from  the  queen  ?  " 

"  Only,  that  as  she  was  helpless,  she  left  every- 
thing to  you.  She  dares  not  oppose  the  king." 

"  I  understand  !  "  exclaimed  the  'tzin,  starting 
from  the  bench  again.  "  The  Tezcucan  is  my 
enemy.  Crossing  the  lake,  night  before  the  com- 
bat, he  told  me  he  loved  Tula,  and  charged  me 
with  designs  against  the  Empire,  and  cursed  the 
king  and  his  crown.  Next  day  he  fought  under 
my  challenge.  The  malice  of  a  mean  soul  cannot 
be  allayed  by  kindness.  But  for  me  the  tamanes 
would  have  buried  him  with  the  Tlascalans.  I 
sent  him  to  my  house ;  my  slaves  tended  him  ; 
yet  his  hate  was  only  sharpened." 

He  paced  the  floor  to  and  fro,  speaking  vehe- 
mently. 

"  The  ingrate.  charges  me  with  aspiring  to  the 
throne.  Judge  me,  holy  gods  !  Judge  how  will- 
ingly I  would  lay  down  my  life  to  keep  the  crown 
where  it  is !  He  says  my  palace  has  been  open 
to  men  of  the  army.  It  was  always  so,  —  I  am 
a  warrior.  I  have  consulted  them  about  the 
Empire,  but  always  as  a  subject,  never  for  its  ill. 
Such  charges  I  laugh  at  ;  but  that  I  sought  to 
slay  the  king  is  too  horrible  for  endurance.  On 
the  day  of  the  combat,  about  the  time  of  the 
assemblage,  I  went  to  the  Cu  of  Quetzal'  for 
blessing.  I  saw  no  smoke  or  other  sign  of  fire 
upon  the  tower.  Mualox  was  gone,  and  I  trem- 
bled lest  the  fire  should  be  dead.  I  climbed  up, 
and  found  only  a  few  living  embers.  There  were 
no  fagots  on  the  roof,  nor  in  the  courtyard  ;  the 


GUATAMOZIN   AT   HOME  151 

shrine  was  abandoned,  Mualox  old.  The  desola- 
tion appealed  to  me.  The  god  seemed  to  claim 
my  service.  I  broke  my  spear  and  shield,  and 
flung  the  fragments  into  the  urn,  then  hastened 
to  the  palace,  loaded  some  tamanes  with  wood, 
and  went  back  to  the  Cu.  I  was  not  too  late 
there ;  but,  hurrying  to  the  tianguez,  I  found 
myself  almost  dishonored.  So  was  I  kept  from 
the  arena  ;  that  service  to  the  god  is  now  helping 
my  enemy  as  proof  that  I  was  waiting  on  a  house- 
top to  murder  my  king  and  kinsman !  Alas  !  I 
have  only  slaves  to  bear  witness  to  the  holy  work 
that  kept  me  on  the  temple.  Much  I  fear  the 
gods  are  making  the  king  blind  for  his  ruin  and 
the  ruin  of  us  all.  He  believes  the  strangers  on 
the  coast  are  from  the  Sun,  when  they  are  but 
men.  Instead  of  war  against  them,  he  is  think- 
ing of  embassies  and  presents.  Now,  more  than 
ever,  he  needs  the  support  of  friends  ;  but  he 
divides  his  family  against  itself,  and  confers  favors 
on  enemies.  I  see  the  danger.  Unfriendly  gods 
are  moving  against  us,  not  in  the  strangers  but  in 
our  own  divisions.  Remember  the  prophecy  of 
Mualox,  'The  race  of  Azatlan  is  ended  forever.'  " 

The  speaker  stopped  his  walking,  and  his  voice 
became  low  and  tremulous. 

"  Yet  I  love  him  ;  he  has  been  kind  ;  he  gave 
me  command ;  through  his  graciousness  I  have 
dwelt  unmolested  in  this  palace  of  my  father.  I 
am  bound  to  him  by  love  and  law.  As  he  has 
been  my  friend,  I  will  be  his ;  when  his  peril  is 
greatest,  I  will  be  truest.  Nothing  but  ill  from 


152  THE   FAIR   GOD 

him  to  Anahuac  can  make  me  his  enemy.  So, 
so, — let  it  pass.  I  trust  the  future  to  the  gods." 

Then,  as  if  seeking  to  rid  himself  of  the  bitter 
subject,  he  turned  to  Io'.  "Did  not  some  one 
come  with  you  ?" 

The  boy  told  what  he  knew  of  Hualpa. 

"  I  take  him  to  be  no  common  fellow ;  he  has 
some  proud  ideas.  I  think  you  would  like  him." 

"I  will  try  your  hunter,  Io'.  And  if  he  is 
what  you  say  of  him,  I  will  accept  his  service." 

And  they  went  immediately  to  the  antecham- 
ber, where  Hualpa  saluted  the  'tzin.  The  latter 
surveyed  his  fine  person  approvingly,  and  said, 
"  I  am  told  you  wish  to  enter  my  service.  Were 
you  ever  in  battle  ? " 

The  hunter  told  his  story  with  his  wonted 
modesty. 

"  Well,  the  chase  is  a  good  school  for  warriors. 
It  trains  the  thews,  teaches  patience  and  endur- 
ance, and  sharpens  the  spirit's  edge.  Let  us  to 
the  garden.  A  hand  to  retain  skill  must  con- 
tinue its  practice;  like  a  good  memory,  it  is  the 
better  for  exercise.  Come,  and  I  will  show  you 
how  I  keep  prepared  for  every  emergency  of 
combat."  And  so  saying,  the  'tzin  led  the  visit- 
ors out. 

They  went  to  the  garden,  followed  by  the 
retainers  lounging  at  the  door.  A  short  walk 
brought  them  to  a  space  surrounded  by  a  copse 
of  orange-trees,  strewn  with  sand,  and  broad 
enough  for  a  mock  battle  ;  a  few  benches  about 
the  margin  afforded  accommodation  to  specta- 


GUATAMOZIN   AT   HOME  153 

tors ;  a  stone  house  at  the  northern  end  served 
for  armory,  and  was  full  of  arms  and  armor.  A 
glance  assured  the  visitors  that  the  place  had 
been  prepared  expressly  for  training.  Some  score 
or  more  of  warriors,  in  the  military  livery  of  the 
'tzin,  already  occupied  a  portion  of  the  field. 
Upon  his  appearance  they  quitted  their  games, 
and  closed  around  him  with  respectful  saluta- 
tions. 

"  How  now,  my  good  Chinantlan ! "  he  said, 
pleasantly.  "Did  I  not  award  you  a  prize  yes- 
terday? There  are  few  in  the  valley  who  can 
excel  you  in  launching  the  spear." 

"The  plume  is  mine  no  longer,"  replied  the 
warrior.  "  I  was  beaten  last  night.  The  winner, 
however,  is  a  countryman." 

"  A  countryman  !  You  Chinantlans  seem  born 
to  the  spear.  Where  is  the  man  ? " 

The  victor  stepped  forward,  and  drew  up  before 
the  master,  who  regarded  his  brawny  limbs,  sinewy 
neck,  and  bold  eyes  with  undisguised  admiration  ; 
so  an  artist  would  regard  a  picture  or  a  statue. 
Above  the  fellow's  helm  floated  a  plume  of  scar- 
let feathers,  the  trophy  of  his  superior  skill. 

"  Get  your  spear,"  said  the  'tzin.  "  I  bring  you 
a  competitor." 

The  spear  was  brought,  an  ugly  weapon  in  any 
hand.  The  head  was  of  copper,  and  the  shaft 
sixteen  feet  long.  The  rough  Chinantlan  han- 
dled it  with  a  loving  grip. 

"  Have  you  such  in  Tihuanco  ?  "  asked  Guata- 
mozin. 


154  THE   FAIR   GOD 

Hualpa  balanced  the  weapon  and  laughed. 

"We  have  only  javelins,  —  mere  reeds  to  this. 
Unless  to  hold  an  enemy  at  bay,  I  hardly  know 
its  use.  Certainly,  it  is  not  for  casting." 

"  Set  the  mark,  men.  We  will  give  the  stran- 
ger a  lesson.  Set  it  to  the  farthest  throw." 

A  pine  picket  was  then  set  up  a  hundred  feet 
away,  presenting  a  target  of  the  height  and 
breadth  of  a  man,  to  which  a  shield  was  bolted 
breast-high  from  the  sand. 

"  Now  give  the  Chinantlan  room  !  " 

The  wearer  of  the  plume  took  his  place  ;  advan- 
cing one  foot,  he  lifted  the  spear  above  his  head 
with  the  right  hand,  poised  it  a  moment,  then 
hurled  it  from  him,  and  struck  the  picket  a  palm's 
breadth  below  the  shield. 

"Out,  out!"  cried  the  'tzin.  "Bring  me  the 
spear ;  I  have  a  mind  to  wear  the  plume  myself." 

When  it  was  brought  him,  he  cast  it  lightly  as 
a  child  would  toss  a  weed;  yet  the  point  drove 
clanging  through  the  brazen  base  of  the  shield, 
and  into  the  picket  behind.  Amid  the  applause 
of  the  sturdy  warriors  he  said  to  Hualpa,  — 

"  Get  ready ;  the  hunter  must  do  something 
for  the  honor  of  his  native  hills." 

"  I  cannot  use  a  spear  in  competition  with  Gua- 
tamozin,"  said  Hualpa,  with  brightening  eyes ; 
"but  if  he  will  have  brought  a  javelin,  a  good 
comely  weapon,  I  will  show  him  my  practice." 

A  slender-shafted  missile,  about  half  the  length 
of  the  spear,  was  produced  from  the  armory,  and 
examined  carefully.  . 


GUATAMOZIN   AT   HOME  155 

"  See,  good  'tzin,  it  is  not  true.  Let  me  have 
another." 

The  next  one  was  to  his  satisfaction. 

"  Now,"  he  said,  "  set  the  target  thrice  a  hun- 
dred feet  away.  If  the  dairjty  living  of  Xoli  have 
not  weakened  my  arm,  I  will  at  least  strike  yon 
shield." 

The  bystanders  looked  at  each  other  wonder- 
ingly,  and  the  'tzin  was  pleased.  He  had  not 
lost  a  word  or  a  motion  of  Hualpa's.  The  feat 
undertaken  was  difficult  and  but  seldom  achieved 
successfully  ;  but  the  aspirant  was  confident,  and 
he  manifested  the  will  to  which  all  achievable 
things  are  possible. 

The  target  was  reset,  and  the  Tihuancan  took 
the  stand.  Resting  the  shaft  on  the  palm  of  his 
left  hand,  he  placed  the  fingers  of  his  right 
against  the  butt,  and  drew  the  graceful  weapon 
arm-length  backward.  It  described  an  arc  in  the 
air,  and  to  the  astonishment  of  all  fell  in  the 
shield  a  little  left  of  the  centre. 

"Tell  me,  Hualpa,"  said  Guatamozin,  "are  there 
more  hunters  in  Tihuanco  who  can  do  such  a 
deed  ?  I  will  have  you  bring  them  to  me." 

The  Tihuancan  lowered  his  eyes.  "  I  grieve 
to  say,  good  'tzin,  that  I  know  of  none.  I  ex- 
celled them  all.  But  I  can  promise  that  in  my 
native  province  there  are  hundreds  braver  than  I, 
ready  to  serve  you  to  the  death." 

"Well,  it  is  enough.  I  intended  to  try  you 
further,  and  with  other  weapons,  but  not  now. 
He  who  can  so  wield  a  javelin  must  know  to 


156  THE   FAIR  GOD 

bend  a  bow  and  strike  with  a  maquahuitl.  I 
accept  your  service.  Let  us  to  the  palace." 

Hualpa  thrilled  with  delight.  Already  he  felt 
himself  in  the  warrior's  path,  with  a  glory  won. 
All  his  dreams  were  about  to  be  realized.  In 
respectful  silence  he  followed  Guatamozin,  and 
as  they  reached  the  portal  steps,  Io'  touched  his 
arm. 

"Remember  our  compact  on  the  lake,"  he 
whispered. 

The  hunter  put  his  arm  lovingly  about  the 
prince,  and  so  they  entered  the  house.  And  that 
day  Fate  wove  a  brotherhood  of  three  hearts 
which  was  broken  only  by  death. 


NIGHT   AT   THE   CHALCAN'S 

HE  same  day,  in  the  evening,  Xoli 
lay  on  a  lounge  by  the  fountain 
under  his  portico.  His  position 
gave  him  the  range  of  the  rooms, 
which  glowed  like  day,  and  re- 
sounded with  life.  He  could 
even  distinguish  the  occupations  of  some  of  his 
guests.  In  fair  view  a  group  was  listening  to  a 
minstrel ;  beyond  them  he  occasionally  caught 
sight  of  girls  dancing ;  and  every  moment  peals 
of  laughter  floated  out  from  the  chambers  of  play. 
A  number  of  persons,  whose  arms  and  attire  pub- 
lished them  of  the  nobler  class,  sat  around  the 
Chalcan  in  the  screen  of  the  curtains,  conversing, 
or  listlessly  gazing  out  on  the  square. 

Gradually  Xoli's  reverie  became  more  dreamy ; 
sleep  stole  upon  his  senses,  and  shut  out  the  lul- 
laby of  the  fountain,  and  drowned  the  influence 
of  his  cuisine.  His  patrons  after  a  while  disap- 


158  THE    FAIR   GOD 

peared,  and  the  watchers  on  the  temples  told  the 
passing  time  without  awakening  him.  Very  happy 
was  the  Chalcan. 

The  slumber  was  yet  strong  upon  him,  when 
an  old  man  and  a  girl  came  to  the  portico.  The 
former,  decrepit  and  ragged,  seated  himself  on 
the  step.  Scanty  hair  hung  in  white  locks  over 
his  face ;  and  grasping  a  staff,  he  rested  his 
head  wearily  upon  his  hands,  and  talked  to  him- 
self. 

The  girl  approached  the  Chalcan  with  the  muf- 
fled tread  of  fear.  She  was  clad  in  the  usual 
dress  of  her  class, —  a  white  chemise,  with  several 
skirts  short  and  embroidered,  over  which,  after 
being  crossed  at  the  throat,  a  red  scarf  dropped 
its  tasseled  ends  nearly  to  her  heels.  The  neat- 
ness of  the  garments  more  than  offset  their 
cheapness.  Above  her  forehead,  in  the  fillet  that 
held  the  mass  of  black  hair  off  her  face,  leaving  it 
fully  exposed,  there  was  the  gleam  of  a  common 
jewel ;  otherwise  she  was  without  ornament.  In 
all  beauty  there  is  —  nay,  must  be  —  an  idea ;  so 
that  a  countenance  to  be  handsome  even,  must  in 
some  way  at  sight  quicken  a  sentiment  or  stir  a 
memory  in  the  beholder.  It  was  so  here.  To 
look  at  the  old  man's  guardian  was  to  know  that 
she  had  a  sorrow  to  tell,  and  to  pity  her  before  it 
was  told ;  to  be  sure  that  under  her  tremulous 
anxiety  there  was  a  darksome  story  and  an  ex- 
traordinary purpose,  the  signs  of  which,  too  fine 
for  the  materialism  of  words,  but  plain  to  the 
sympathetic  inner  consciousness,  lurked  in  the 


NIGHT   AT   THE   CHALCAN'S  159 

corners  of  her  mouth,  looked  from  her  great  black 
eyes,  and  blent  with  every  action. 

Gliding  over  the  marble,  she  stopped  behind  the 
sleeper,  and  spoke,  without  awakening  him ;  her 
voice  was  too  like  the  murmur  of  the  fountain. 
Frightened  at  the  words,  low  as  they  were,  she 
hesitated ;  but  a  look  at  the  old  man  reassured 
her,  and  she  called  again.  Xoli  started. 

"  How  now,  mistress !  "  he  said  angrily,  reach- 
ing for  her  hand. 

"I  want  to  see  Xoli,  the  Chalcan,"  she  replied, 
escaping  his  touch. 

"  What  have  you  to  do  with  him  ? " 

He  sat  up,  and  looked  at  her  in  wonder. 

"What  have  you  to  do  with  him?"  he  re- 
peated in  a  kindlier  tone. 

Her  face  kindled  with  a  sudden  intelligence. 
"  Xoli !  The  gods  be  praised  !  And  their  bless- 
ing on  you,  if  you  will  do  a  kind  deed  for  a  coun- 
tryman !  " 

"  Well !  But  what  beggar  is  that  ?  Came  he 
with  you  ? " 

"  It  is  of  him  I  would  speak.  Hear  me ! "  she 
asked,  drawing  near  him  again.  "He  is  poor, 
but  a  Chalcan.  If  you  have  memory  of  the  city 
of  your  birth,  be  merciful  to  his  child." 

"  His  child !  Who  ?  Nay,  it  is  a  beggar's 
tale!  Ho,  fellow!  How  many  times  have  I 
driven  you  away  already  !  How  dare  you  return  ! " 

Slowly  the  old  man  raised  his  head  from  his 
staff,  and  turned  his  face  to  the  speaker;  there 
was  no  light  there :  he  was  blind ! 


160  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"  By  the  holy  fires,  no  trick  this !  Say  on, 
girl.  He  is  a  Chalcan,  you  said." 

"A  countryman  of  yours," — and  her  tears 
fell  fast.  "A  hut  is  standing  where  the  cause- 
way leads  from  Chalco  to  Iztapalapan ;  it  is  my 
father's.  He  was  happy  under  its  roof;  for, 
though  blind  and  poor,  he  could  hear  my  mother's 
voice,  which  was  the  kindliest  thing  on  earth  to 
him.  But  Our  Mother  called  her  on  the  coming 
of  a  bright  morning,  and  since  then  he  has  asked 
for  bread,  when  I  had  not  a  tttna1  to  give  him. 
O  Xoli !  did  you  but  know  what  it  is  to  ask  for 
bread,  when  there  is  none !  I  am  his  child,  and 
can  think  of  but  one  way  to  quiet  his  cry."  And 
she  paused,  looking  in  his  face  for  encouragement. 

"  Tell  me  your  name,  girl ;  tell  me  your  name, 
then  go  on,"  he  said,  with  a  trembling  lip,  for  his 
soul  was  clever. 

At  that  instant  the  old  man  moaned  queru- 
lously, "  Yeteve,  Yet  eve ! " 

She  went,  and  clasped  his  neck,  and  spoke  to 
him  soothingly.  Xoli's  eyes  became  humid ; 
down  in  the  depths  of  his  heart  an  emotion  grew 
strangely  warm. 

"  Yeteve,  Yeteve  !  "  he  repeated  musingly, 
thinking  the  syllables  soft  and  pretty.  "  Come  ; 
stand  here  again,  Yeteve,"  said  he  aloud,  when 
the  dotard  was  pacified.  "  He  wants  bread,  you 
say  :  how  would  you  supply  him  ? " 

"You  are  rich.  You  want  many  slaves;  and 
the  law  permits  the  poor  to  sell  themselves.2  I 

1  A  species  of  fig.  2  Prescott,  Cong,  of  Mexico. 


NIGHT  AT  THE   CHALCAN'S  161 

would  be  your  slave,  —  asking  no  price,  except 
that  you  give  the  beggar  bread." 

"  A  slave !  Sell  yourself !  "  he  cried  in  dismay. 
"  A  slave  !  Why,  you  are  beautiful,  Yeteve,  and 
have  not  bethought  yourself  that  some  day  the 
gods  may  want  you  for  a  victim." 

She  was  silent. 

"What  can  you  do?  Dance?  Sing?  Can 
you  weave  soft  veils  and  embroider  golden  flow- 
ers, like  ladies  in  the  palaces  ?  If  you  can,  no 
slave  in  Anahuac  will  be  so  peerless  ;  the  lords 
will  bid  more  cocoa  than  you  can  carry ;  you  will 
be  rich." 

"  If  so,  then  can  I  do  all  you  have  said." 

And  she  ran,  and  embraced  the  old  man,  say- 
ing, "Patience,  patience!  In  a  little  while  we 
will  have  bread,  and  be  rich.  Yes,"  she  contin- 
ued, returning  to  the  Chalcan,  "they  taught  me 
in  the  teocallis,  where  they  would  have  had  me  as 
priestess." 

"  It  is  good  to  be  a  priestess,  Yeteve ;  you 
should  have  stayed  there." 

"  But  I  did  so  love  the  little  hut  by  the  cause- 
way. And  I  loved  the  beggar,  and  they  let  me 
go." 

"  And  now  you  wish  to  sell  yourself  ?  I  want 
slaves,  but  not  such  as  you,  Yeteve.  I  want 
those  who  can  work,  —  slaves  whom  the  lash  will 
hurt,  but  not  kill.  Besides,  you  are  worth  more 
cocoa  than  I  can  spare.  Keep  back  your  tears. 
I  will  do  better  than  buy  you  myself.  I  will  sell 
you,  and  to-night.  Here  in  my  house  you  shall 


1 62  THE   FAIR   GOD 

dance  for  the  bidders.  I  know  them  all.  He 
shall  be  brave  and  rich  and  clever  who  buys,  — 
clever  and  brave,  and  the  owner  of  a  palace,  full 
of  bread  for  the  beggar,  and  love  for  Yeteve." 

Clapping  his  hands,  a  slave  appeared  at  the 
door. 

"  Take  yon  beggar,  and  give  him  to  eat.  Lead 
him,  —  he  is  blind.  Come,  child,  follow  me." 

He  summoned  his  servants,  and  bade  them  pub- 
lish the  sale  in  every  apartment  ;  then  he  led  the 
girl  to  the  hall  used  for  the  exhibition  of  his  own 
dancing-girls.  It  was  roomy  and  finely  lighted ; 
the  floor  was  of  polished  marble;  a  blue  drop- 
curtain  extended  across  the  northern  end,  in  front 
of  which  were  rows  of  stools,  handsomely  cush- 
ioned, for  spectators.  Music,  measured  for  the 
dance,  greeted  the  poor  priestess,  and  had  a  magi- 
cal effect  upon  her ;  her  eyes  brightened,  a  smile 
played  about  her  mouth.  Never  was  the  chamber 
of  the  rich  Chalcan  graced  by  a  creature  fairer  or 
more  devoted. 

"A  priestess  of  the  dance  needs  no  teaching 
from  me,"  said  Xoli,  patting  her  flushed  cheek. 
"Get  ready;  they  are  coming.  Beware  of  the 
marble ;  and  when  I  clap  my  hands,  begin." 

She  looked  around  the  hall  once ;  not  a  point 
escaped  her.  Springing  to  the  great  curtain,  and 
throwing  her  robe  away,  she  stood  before  it  in 
her  simple  attire ;  and  no  studied  effect  of  art 
could  have  been  more  beautiful ;  motionless  and 
lovely,  against  the  relief  of  the  blue  background, 
she  seemed  actually  spirituelle. 


NIGHT  AT   THE   CHALCAN'S  163 

Upon  the  announcement  of  the  auction,  the 
patrons  of  the  house  hurried  to  the  scene.  Volun- 
tary renunciation  of  freedom  was  common  enough 
among  the  poorer  classes  in  Tenochtitlan,  but  a 
transaction  of  the  kind  under  the  auspices  of  the 
rich  broker  was  a  novelty ;  so  that  curiosity  and 
expectation  ran  high.  The  nobles,  as  they  arrived, 
occupied  the  space  in  front  of  the  curtain,  or 
seated  themselves,  marveling  at  the  expression  of 
her  countenance. 

The  music  had  not  ceased ;  and  the  bidders 
being  gathered,  Xoli,  smiling  with  satisfaction, 
stepped  forward  to  give  the  signal,  when  an  up- 
roar of  merriment  announced  the  arrival  of  a 
party  of  the  younger  dignitaries  of  the  court,  — 
amongst  them  Iztlil',  the  Tezcucan,  and  Maxtla, 
chief  of  the  guard,  the  former  showing  signs  of 
quick  recovery  from  his  wounds,  the  latter  su- 
perbly attired. 

"  Hold !  What  have  we  here  ? "  cried  the  Tez- 
cucan, surveying  the  girl.  "  Has  this  son  of 
Chalco  been  robbing  the  palace  ? " 

"  The  temples,  my  lord'Iztlil' !  He  has  robbed 
the  temples !  By  all  the  gods,  it  is  the  priestess 
Yeteve ! "  answered  Maxtla,  amazed.  "  Say,  Chal- 
can,  what  does  priestess  of  the  Blessed  Lady  in 
such  unhallowed  den  ? " 

The  broker  explained. 

"  Good,  good  !  "  shouted  the  new-comers. 

"  Begin,  Xoli !  A  thousand  cocoa  for  the 
priestess,  — millions  of  bread  for  the  beggar!" 
This  from  Maxtla. 


164  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"Only  a  thousand?"  said  IzthT  scornfully. 
"  Only  a  thousand  ?  Five  thousand  to  begin  with, 
more  after  she  dances." 

Xoli  gave  the  signal,  and  the  soul  of  the  Chalcan 
girl  broke  forth  in  motion.  Dancing  had  been  her 
role  in  the  religious  rites  of  the  temple ;  many  a 
time  the  pabas  around  the  altar,  allured  by  her 
matchless  grace,  had  turned  from  the  bleeding 
heart  indifferent  to  its  auguration.  And  she  had 
always  danced  moved  by  no  warmer  impulse  than 
duty;  so  that  the  prompting  of  the  spirit  in  the 
presence  of  a  strange  auditory  free  to  express 
itself,  like  that  she  nowjaced,  came  to  her  for  the 
first  time.  The  dance  chosen  was  one  of  the  wild, 
quick,  pulsating  figures  wont  to  be  given  in  thanks- 
giving for  favorable  tokens  from  the  deity.  The 
steps  were  irregular  and  difficult ;  a  great  variety 
of  posturing  was  required;  the  head,  arms,  and 
feet  had  each  their  parts,  all  to  be  rendered 
in  harmony.  At  the  commencement  she  was 
frightened  by  the  ecstasy  that  possessed  her ;  sud- 
denly the  crowd  vanished,  and  she  saw  only  the 
beggar,  and  him  wanting  bread.  Then  her  form 
became  divinely  gifted  ;  she  bounded  as  if  winged  ; 
advanced  and  retreated,  a  moment  swaying  like 
a  reed,  the  next  whirling  like  a  leaf  in  a  cir- 
cling wind.  The  expression  of  her  countenance 
throughout  was  so  full  of  soul,  so  intense,  rapt,  and 
beautiful,  that  the  lords  were  spell-bound.  When 
the  figure  was  ended,  there  was  an  outburst  of 
voices,  some  bidding,  others  applauding  ;  though 
most  of  the  spectators  were  silent  from  pity  and 
admiration. 


NIGHT  AT   THE   CHALCAN'S  165 

Of  the  competitors  the  loudest  was  Iztlil'.  In 
his  excitement,  he  would  have  sacrificed  his  pro- 
vince to  become  the  owner  of  the  girl.  Maxtla 
opposed  him. 

"Five  thousand  cocoa!  Hear,  Chalcan ! " 
shouted  the  Tezcucan. 

"  A  thousand  better  !  "  answered  Maxtla,  laugh- 
ing at  the  cacique's  rage. 

"  By  all  the  gods,  I  will  have  her !  Put  me 
down  a  thousand  quills  of  gold  !  " 

"A  thousand  quills  above  him  !  Not  bread, 
but  riches  for  the  beggar  !  "  replied  Maxtla,  half 
in  derision. 

"  Two  thousand,  —  only  two  thousand  quills  ! 
More,  noble  lords  !  She  is  worth  a  palace !  "  sung 
Xoli,  trembling  with  excitement ;  for  in  such  large 
bids  he  saw  an  extraordinary  loan.  Just  then, 
under  the  parted  curtain  of  the  principal  doorway, 
he  beheld  one  dear  to  every  lover  of  Tenochtitlan ; 
he  stopped.  All  eyes  turned  in  that  direction, 
and  a  general  exclamation  followed,  —  "  The  'tzin, 
the  'tzin ! " 

Guatamozin  was  in  full  military  garb,  and 
armed.  As  he  lingered  by  the  door  to  compre- 
hend the  scene,  what  with  his  height,  brassy 
helm,  and  embossed  shield,  he  looked  like  a  Greek 
returned  from  Troy. 

"  Yeteve,  the  priestess  ! "  he  said.  "  Impos- 
sible ! " 

He  strode  to  the  front. 

"How?"  he  said,  placing  his  hand  on  her  head. 
"  Has  Yeteve  flown  the  temple  to  become  a 
slave  ?  " 


1 66  THE   FAIR   GOD 

Up  to  this  time,  it  would  seem  that,  in  the 
fixedness  of  her  purpose,  she  had  been  blind  to  all 
but  the  beggar,  and  deaf  to  everything  but  the 
music.  Now  she  knelt  at  the  feet  of  the  noble 
Aztec,  sobbing  broken-heartedly.  The  spectators 
were  moved  with  sympathy,  —  all  save  one. 

"  Who  stays  the  sale  ?  By  all  the  gods,  Chal- 
can,  you  shall  proceed  !  " 

Scarcely  had  the  words  been  spoken,  or  the 
duller  faculties  understood  them,  before  Guata- 
mozin  confronted  the  speaker,  his  javelin  drawn, 
and  his  shield  in  readiness.  Naturally  his  coun- 
tenance was  womanly  gentle;  but  the  transition 
of  feeling  was  mighty,  and  those  looking  upon 
him  then  shrank  with  dread  ;  it  was  as  if  their 
calm  blue  lake  had  in  an  instant  darkened  with 
storm.  Face  to  face  he  stood  with  the  Tezcucan, 
the  latter  unprepared  for  combat,  but  in  nowise 
daunted.  In  their  angry  attitude  a  seer  might 
have  read  the  destiny  of  Anahuac. 

One  thrust  of  the  javelin  would  have  sent  the 
traitor  to  Mictlan  ;  the  Empire,  as  well  as  the 
wrongs  of  the  lover,  called  for  it ;  but  before  the 
veterans,  recovering  from  their  panic,  could  rush 
between  the  foemen,  all  the  'tzin's  calmness 
returned. 

"  Xoli,"  he  said,  "  a  priestess  belongs  to  the 
temple,  and  cannot  be  sold ;  such  is  the  law.  The 
sale  would  have  sent  your  heart,  and  that  of  her 
purchaser,  to  the  Blessed  Lady.  Remove  the  girl. 
I  will  see  that  she  is  taken  to  a  place  of  safety. 
Here  is  gold  ;  give  the  beggar  what  he  wants,  and 


NIGHT   AT   THE   CHALCAN'S  167 

keep  him  until  to-morrow.  —  And,  my  lords  and 
brethren,"  he  added,  turning  to  the  company,  "  I 
did  not  think  to  behave  so  unseemly.  It  is  only 
against  the  enemies  of  our  country  that  we  should 
turn  our  arms.  Blood  is  sacred,  and  accursed  is 
his  hand  who  sheds  that  of  a  countryman  in  petty 
quarrel.  I  pray  you,  forget  all  that  has  passed." 
And  with  a  low  obeisance  to  them,  he  walked 
away,  taking  with  him  the  possibility  of  further 
rencounter. 

He  had  just  arrived  from  his  palace  at  Iztapa- 
lapan. 


VI 


THE   CHINAMPA 

ETWEEN    Tula,    the   child   of 
Tecalco,  and  Nenetzin,  daughter 
and  child  of  Acatlan,  there  ex- 
isted a  sisterly  affection.     The 
same  sports  had  engaged  them, 
and  they  had  been,  and  yet  were,  insep- 
arable.      Their     mothers,     themselves 
friends,  encouraged  the  intimacy ;  and 
so  their  past    lives  had  vanished,  like 
two  summer  clouds  borne  away  by  a  soft 
south  wind. 

The  evening  after  Iztlil's  overture  of  marriage 
was  deepening  over  lake  Tezcuco  ;  the  breeze  be- 
came murmurous  and  like  a  breath,  and  all  the 


f 


THE   CHINAMPA  169 

heavens  filled  with  starlight.  Cloudless  must  be 
the  morrow  to  such  a  night ! 

So  thought  the  princess  Tula.  Won  by  the 
beauty  of  the  evening,  she  had  flown  from  the  city 
to  her  chinampa,  which  was  lying  anchored  in  a 
quarter  of  the  lake  east  of  the  causeway  to  Tepe- 
jaca,  beyond  the  noise  of  the  town,  and  where  no 
sound  less  agreeable  than  the  plash  of  light  waves 
could  disturb  her  dreams. 

A  retreat  more  delightful  would  be  a  task  for 
fancy.  The  artisan  who  knitted  the  timbers  of 
the  chinampa  had  doubtless  been  a  lover  of  the 
luxuriant,  and  built  as  only  a  lover  can  build. 
The  waves  of  the  lake  had  not  been  overlooked 
in  his  plan ;  he  had  measured  their  height,  and 
the  depth  and  width  of  their  troughs,  when  the 
weather  was  calm  and  the  water  gentle.  So  he 
knew  both  what  rocking  they  would  make,  and 
what  rocking  would  be  pleasantest  to  a  delicate 
soul ;  for,  as  there  were  such  souls,  there  were 
also  such  artisans  in  Tenochtitlan. 

Viewed  from  a  distance,  the  chinampa  looked 
like  an  island  of  flowers.  Except  where  the  can- 
opy of  a  white  pavilion  rose  from  the  midst  of  the 
green  beauty,  it  was  covered  to  the  water's  edge 
with  blooming  shrubbery,  which,  this  evening,  was 
luminous  with  the  light  of  lamps.  The  radiance, 
glinting  through  the  foliage,  tinted  the  atmo- 
sphere above  it  with  mellow  rays,  and  seemed 
the  visible  presence  of  enchantment. 

The  humid  night  breeze  blew  softly  under  the 
raised  walls  of  the  pavilion,  within  which,  in  a 


170  THE   FAIR   GOD 

hammock  that  swung  to  and  fro  regularly  as  the 
chinampa  obeyed  the  waves,  lay  Tula  and  Nene- 
tzin. 

They  were  both  beautiful,  but  different  in  their 
beauty.  Tula's  face  was  round  and  of  a  transpar- 
ent olive  complexion,  without  being  fair ;  her  eyes 
were  hazel,  large,  clear,  and  full  of  melancholy 
earnestness  ;  masses  of  black  hair,  evenly  parted, 
fell  over  her  temples,  and  were  gathered  behind 
in  a  simple  knot ;  with  a  tall,  full  form,  her  pre- 
sence and  manner  were  grave  and  very  queenly. 
Whereas,  Nenetzin's  eyes,  though  dark,  were 
bright  with  the  light  of  laughter ;  her  voice  was 
low  and  sweet,  and  her  manner  that  of  a  hoiden. 
One  was  the  noble  woman,  the  other  a  jocund 
child. 

"  It  is  late,  Tula ;  our  father  may  want  us.  Let 
us  return." 

"Be  patient  a  little  longer.  The  'tzin  will 
come  for  us ;  he  promised  to,  and  you  know  he 
never  forgets." 

"  Patience,  sister  !  Ah !  you  may  say  it,  you 
who  know  ;  but  how  am  I  to  practice  it,  —  I,  who 
have  only  a  hope  ?  " 

"What  do  you  mean,  Nenetzin?" 

The  girl  leaned  back,  and  struck  a  suspended 
hoop,  in  which  was  perched  a  large  parrot.  The 
touch,  though  light,  interrupted  the  pendulous 
motion  of  the  bird,  and  it  pecked  at  her  hand, 
uttering  a  gruff  scream  of  rage. 

"You  spoke  of  something  I  know,  and  you 
hope.  What  do  you  mean,  child  ? " 


THE   CHINAMPA  I?* 

Nenetzin  withdrew  her  hand  from  the  perch, 
looked  in  the  questioner's  face,  then  crept  up  to 
win  her  embrace. 

"  O  Tula,  I  know  you  are  learned  and  thought- 
ful. Often  after  the  banquet,  when  the  hall  was 
cleared,  and  the  music  begun,  have  I  seen  you 
stand  apart,  silent,  while  all  others  danced  or 
laughed.  See,  your  eyes  are  on  me  now,  but 
more  in  thought  than  love.  Oh,  indeed,  you  are 
wise !  Tell  me,  did  you  ever  think  of  me  as  a 
woman?" 

The  smile  deepened  on  the  lips,  and  burned  in 
the  eyes  of  the  queenly  auditor. 

"No,  never  as  a  woman,"  continued  Nenetzin. 
"Listen  to  me,  Tula.  The  other  night  I  was 
asleep  in  your  arms,  —  I  felt  them  in  love  around 
me, — and  I  dreamed  so  strangely." 

"Of  what?"  asked  Tula,  seeing  she. hesitated. 

"  I  dreamed  there  entered  at  the  palace  door  a 
being  with  a  countenance  white  like  snow,  while 
its  hair  and  beard  were  yellow,  like  the  silk  of  the 
maize ;  its  eyes  were  blue,  like  the  deep  water  of 
the  lake,  but  bright,  so  bright  that  they  terrified 
while  they  charmed  me.  Thinking  of  it  now,  O 
Tula,  it  was  a  man,  though  it  looked  like  a  god. 
He  entered  at  the  palace  door,  and  came  into 
the  great  chamber  where  our  father  sat  with 
his  chiefs;  but  he  came  not  barefooted  and  in 
nequen;  he  spoke  as  he  were  master,  and  our 
father  a  slave.  Looking  and  listening,  a  feeling 
thrilled  me,  —  thrilled  warm  and  deep,  and  was 
a  sense  of  joy,  like  a  blessing  of  Tlalac.  Since 


172  THE    FAIR   GOD 

then,  though  I  have  acted  as  a  girl,  I  have  felt  as 
a  woman." 

"Very  strange,  indeed,  Nenetzin!"  said  Tula 
playfully.  "  But  you  forget :  I  asked  you  what  I 
know,  and  you  only  hope  ?" 

"  I  will  explain  directly ;  but  as  you  are  wise, 
first  tell  me  what  that  feeling  was." 

"  Nay,  I  can  tell  you  whence  the  water  flows, 
but  I  cannot  tell  you  what  it  is." 

"  Well,  since  then  I  have  had  a  hope  "  — 

"Well?" 

"A  hope  of  seeing  the  white  face  and  blue 
eyes." 

"  I  begin  to  understand  you,  Nenetzin.  But  go 
on  :  what  is  it  I  know  ?  " 

"  What  I  dreamed,  —  a  great  warrior,  who 
loves  you.  You  will  see  him  to-night,  and  then, 
O  Tula,  —  then  you  may  tell  of  the  feeling  that 
thrilled  me  so  in  my  dream." 

And  with  a  blush  and  a  laugh,  she  laid  her  face 
in  Tula's  bosom. 

Both  were  silent  awhile,  Nenetzin  with  her  face 
hidden,  and  Tula  looking  wistfully  up  at  the  par- 
rot swinging  lazily  in  the  perch.  The  dream  was 
singular,  and  made  an  impression  on  the  mind  of 
the  one  as  it  had  on  the  heart  of  the  other. 

"  Look  up,  O  Nenetzin ! "  said  Tula,  after  a 
while.  "  Look  up,  and  I  will  tell  you  something 
that  has  seemed  as  strange  to  me  as  the  dream  to 
you." 

The  girl  raised  her  head. 

"Did  you  ever  see  Mualox,  the  old  paba  of 


THE   CHINAMPA  173 

Quetzal'  ?  No  ?  Well,  he  is  said  to  be  a  prophet ; 
a  look  of  his  will  make  a  warrior  tremble.  He  is 
the  friend  of  Guatamozin,  who  always  goes  to  his 
shrine  to  worship  the  god.  I  went  there  once  to 
make  an  offering.  I  climbed  the  steps,  went  in 
where  the  image  is,  laid  my  gift  on  the  altar,  and 
turned  to  depart,  when  a  man  came  and  stood  by 
the  door,  wearing  a  surplice,  and  with  long,  flow- 
ing white  beard.  He  looked  at  me,  then  bowed, 
and  kissed  the  pavement  at  my  feet.  I  shrank 
away.  '  Fear  not,  O  Tula ! '  he  said.  '  I  bow  to 
you,  not  for  what  you  are,  but  for  what  you  shall 
be.  You  shall  be  queen  in  your  father  s  palace  ! ' 
With  that  he  arose,  and  left  me  to  descend." 

"  Said  he  so  ?  How  did  he  know  you  were 
Tula,  the  king's  daughter  ? " 

"That  is  part  of  the  mystery.  I  never  saw 
him  before ;  nor,  until  I  told  the  story  to  the 
'tzin,  did  I  know  the  paba.  Now,  O  sister,  can 
the  believer  of  a  dream  refuse  to  believe  a  priest 
and  prophet  ? " 

"  A  queen !  You  a  queen  !  I  will  kiss  you 
now,  and  pray  for  you  then."  And  they  threw 
their  arms  lovingly  around  each  other. 

Then  the  bird  above  them  awoke,  and,  with  a 
fluttering  of  its  scarlet  wings,  cried,  "  Guatamo ! 
Guatamo!"  —  taught  it  by  the  patient  love  of 
Tula. 

"  Oh,  what  a  time  that  will  be  ! "  Nenetzin  went 
on,  with  sparkling  eyes.  "  What  a  garden  we  will 
make  of  Anahuac !  How  happy  we  shall  be ! 
None  but  the  brave  and  beautiful  shall  come 
around  us  ;  for  you  will  be  queen,  my  Tula.'' 


174  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"  Yes ;  and  Nenetzin  shall  have  a  lord,  he 
whom  she  loves  best,  for  she  will  be  as  peerless 
as  I  am  powerful,"  answered  Tula,  humoring  the 
mood.  "Whom  will  she  take?  Let  us  decide 
now,  —  there  are  so  many  to  choose  from.  What 
says  she  to  Cacama,  lord  of  Tezcuco  ? ' ' 

The  girl  made  no  answer. 

"  There  is  the  lord  of  Chinantla,  once  a  king, 
who  has  already  asked  our  father  for  a  wife." 

Still  Nenetzin  was  silent. 

"Neither  of  them!  Then  there  are  left  but 
the  lord  of  Tlacopan,  and  IzthT,  the  Tezcucan." 

At  the  mention  of  the  last  name,  a  strong  ex- 
pression of  disgust  burst  from  Nenetzin. 

"  A  tiger  from  the  museum  first !  It  could  be 
taught  to  love  me.  No,  none  of  them  for  me ; 
none,  Tula,  if  you  let  me  have  my  way,  but  the 
white  face  and  blue  eyes  I  saw  in  my  dream." 

"You  are  mad,  Nenetzin.  That  was  a  god, 
not  a  man." 

"All  the  better,  Tula!  The  god  will  forgive 
me  for  loving  him." 

Before  Tula  spoke  again,  Guatamozin  stepped 
within  the  pavilion.  Nenetzin  was  noisy  in  ex- 
pressing her  gladness,  while  the  elder  sister  be- 
trayed no  feeling  by  words  ;  only  her  smile  and 
the  glow  of  her  eyes  intensified. 

The  'tzin  sat  down  by  the  hammock,  and,  with 
his  strong  hand  staying  its  oscillation,  talked 
lightly.  As  yet  Tula  knew  nothing  of  the  pro- 
posal of  the  Tezcucan,  or  of  the  favor  the  king 
had  given  it ;  but  the  ken  of  love  is  as  acute  as 


THE  CHINAMPA  175 

an  angel's ;  sorrow  of  the  cherished  heart  cannot 
be  hidden  from  it  ;  so  in  his  very  jests  she  de- 
tected a  trouble  ;  but,  thinking  it  had  relation  to 
the  condition  of  the  Empire,  she  asked  nothing, 
while  he,  loath  to  disturb  her  happiness,  coun- 
seled darkly  of  his  own  soul. 

After  a  while,  as  Nenetzin  prayed  to  return  to 
the  city,  they  left  the  pavilion ;  and,  following  a 
little  path  through  the  teeming  shrubbery,  and 
under  the  boughs  of  orange-trees,  overarched  like 
an  arbor,  they  came  to  the  'tzin's  canoe.  The 
keeper  of  the  chinampa  was  there  with  great  bun- 
dles of  flowers.  Tula  and  Nenetzin  entered  the 
vessel ;  then  was  the  time  for  the  slave  ;  so  he 
threw  in  the  bundles  until  they  were  nearly  buried 
under  them,  —  his  gifts  of  love  and  allegiance. 
When  the  rowers  pushed  off,  he  knelt  with  his 
face  to  the  earth. 

Gliding  homeward  through  the  dusk,  Guatamo- 
zin  told  the  story  of  Yeteve ;  and  Tula,  moved 
by  the  girl's  devotion,  consented  to  take  her  into 
service,  —  at  least,  until  the  temple  claimed  its 
own. 


VII 


COURT   GOSSIP 

PINCH  of  your  snuff,  Xoli !  To 
be  out  thus  early  dulls  a  nice 
brain,  which  nothing  clarifies  like 
snuff.  By  the  way,  it  is  very 
strange  that  when  one  wants  a 
good  article  of  any  kind,  he  can  only  get  it  at  the 
palace  or  of  you.  So,  a  pinch,  my  fat  fellow !  " 

"  I  can  commend  my  snuff,"  said  the  Chalcan, 
bowing  very  low,  "  only  a  little  less  than  the  good 
taste  of  the  most  noble  Maxtla." 

While  speaking,  —  the  scene  being  in  his  pulque 
room,  — he  uncovered  a  gilded  jar  sitting  upon  the 
counter. 

"  Help  yourself ;  it  is  good  to  sneeze." 

Maxtla  snuffed  the  scented  drug  freely,  then 

rushed  to  the  door,  and  through  eyes  misty  with 

tears  of  pleasure  looked  at  the  sun  rising   over 

the  mountains.     A  fit  of  sneezing  seized  him,  at 


COURT  GOSSIP  177 

the  end  of  which,  a  slave  stood  by  his  elbow  with 
a  ewer  of  water  and  a  napkin.  He  bathed  his 
face.  Altogether,  it  was  apparent  that  sneezing 
had  been  reduced  to  an  Aztec  science. 

"  Elegant  !     By  the  Sun,  I  feel  inspired !  " 

"No  doubt,"  responded  the  Chalcan.  "Such 
ought  to  be  the  effect  of  tobacco  and  rose-leaves, 
moistened  with  dew.  But  tell  me  ;  that  tilmatli 
you  are  wearing  is  quite  royal,  —  is  it  from  the 
king  ?  " 

The  young  chief  raised  the  folds  of  the  mantle 
of  plumaje,  which  he  was  sporting  for  the  first 
time.  "  From  the  king  ?  No  ;  my  tailor  has  just 
finished  it." 

"  Certainly,  my  lord.  How  dull  I  was  !  You 
are  preparing  for  the  banquet  at  the  palace  to- 
morrow night." 

"You  recollect  the  two  thousand  quills  of  gold 
I  bid  for  your  priestess  the  other  evening,"  said 
Maxtla,  paying  no  attention  to  the  remark.  "  I 
concluded  to  change  the  investment ;  they  are  all 
in  that  collar  and  loop." 

Xoli  examined  the  loop. 

"A  chalchuite !  What  jeweler  in  the  city 
could  sell  you  one  so  rich  ? " 

"Not  one.  I  bought  it  of  Cacama.  It  is  a 
crown  jewel  of  Tezcuco." 

"  You  were  lucky,  my  lord.  But,  if  you  will 
allow  me,  what  became  of  the  priestess  ?  Saw 
you  ever  such  dancing  ? " 

"  You  are  late  inquiring,  Chalcan.  The  beggar 
was  fast  by  starvation  that  night ;  but  you  were 


178  THE   FAIR   GOD 

nearer  death.  The  story  was  told  the  king, — 
ah !  you  turn  pale.  Well  you  may,  —  and  he 
swore,  by  the  fires  of  the  temple,  if  the  girl  had 
been  sold  he  would  have  flayed  alive  both  buyer 
and  seller.  Hereafter  we  had  both  better  look 
more  closely  to  the  law." 

"  But  she  moved  my  pity  as  it  was  never  moved 
before ;  moreover,  she  told  me  they  had  dis- 
charged her  from  the  temple." 

"No  matter;  the  peril  is  over,  and  our  hearts 
are  our  own.  Yesterday  I  saw  her  in  the  train 
of  the  princess  Tula.  The  'tzin  cared  for 'her. 
But  speaking  of  the  princess,  —  the  banquet  to- 
morrow night  will  be  spicy." 

The  Chalcan  dropped  the  precious  loop.  Gos- 
sip that  concerned  the  court  was  one  of  his  spe- 
cial weaknesses. 

"You  know,"  continued  Maxtla,  "that  the  'tzin 
has  always  been  a  favorite  of  the  king's  "  - 

"  As  he  always  deserved  to  be." 

"  Not  so  fast,  Chalcan !  Keep  your  praise. 
You  ought  to  know  that  nothing  is  so  fickle  as 
fortune;  that  what  was  most  popular  yesterday 
may  be  most  unpopular  to-day.  Hear  me  out. 
You  also  know  that  Iztlil',  the  Tezcucan,  was 
down  in  the  royal  estimation  quite  as  much  as 
the  'tzin  was  up  ;  on  which  account,  more  than 
anything  else,  he  lost  his  father's  city." 

Xoli  rested  his  elbow  on  the  counter,  and  lis- 
tened eagerly. 

"  It  has  been  agreed  on  all  sides  for  years," 
continued  Maxtla,  in  his  modulated  voice,  "  that 


COURT   GOSSIP  179 

the  'tzin  and  Tula  were  to  be  married  upon  her 
coming  of  age.  No  one  else  has  presumed  to  pay 
her  court,  lest  it  might  be  an  interference.  Now, 
the  whole  thing  is  at  an  end.  IztliT,  not  the  'tzin, 
is  the  fortunate  man." 

"  Iztlil' !    And  to-morrow  night !  " 

"  The  palace  was  alive  last  evening  as  with  a 
swarming  of  bees.  Some  were  indignant,  —  all 
astonished.  In  fact,  Xoli,  I  believe  the  'tzin  had 
as  many  friends  as  the  king.  Several  courtiers 
openly  defended  him,  notwithstanding  his  fall,  — 
something  that,  to  my  knowledge,  never  happened 
before.  The  upshot  was,  that  a  herald  went  in 
state  to  Iztapalapan  with  a  decree  prohibiting  the 
'tzin  from  visiting  Tenochtitlan,  under  any  pre- 
tense, until  the  further  pleasure  of  the  king  is 
made  known  to  him." 

"  Banished,  banished !  But  that  the  noble 
Maxtla  told  me,  I  could  not  believe  what  I  hear." 

"  Certainly.  The  affair  is  mysterious,  as  were 
the  means  by  which  the  result  was  brought  about. 
Look  you,  Chalcan :  the  'tzin  loved  the  princess, 
and  was  contracted  to  her,  and  now  comes  this 
banishment  just  the  day  before  the  valley  is  called 
to  witness  her  betrothal  to  the  Tezcucan.  Cer- 
tainly, it  would  ill  become  the  'tzin  to  be  a  guesl 
at  such  a  banquet." 

"I  understand,"  said  Xoli,  with  a  cunning 
smile.  "  It  was  to  save  his  pride  that  he  was 
banished." 

"  If  to  be  a  Chalcan  is  to  be  so  stupid,  I 
thank  the  gods  for  making  me  what  I  am  ! "  cried 


180  THE    FAIR   GOD 

Maxtla  impatiently.  "What  cares  the  great  king 
for  the  pride  of  the  enemy  he  would  humble  ? 
The  banishment  is  a  penalty,  — it  is  ruin." 

There  was  a  pause,  during  which  the  Chalcan 
hung  his  head. 

"  Ah,  Xoli !  The  king  has  changed ;  he  used 
to  be  a  warrior,  loving  warriors  as  the  eagle  loves 
its  young.  Now  —  alas !  I  dare  not  speak. 
Time  was  when  no  envious-hearted  knave  could 
have  made  him  believe  that  Guatamozin  was 
hatching  treason  in  his  garden  at  Iztapalapan. 
Now,  surrounded  by  mewling  priests,  he  sits  in 
the  depths  of  his  palace,  and  trembles,  and,  like 
a  credulous  child,  believes  everything.  'Woe  is 
Tenochtitlan ! '  said  Mualox ;  and  the  days 
strengthen  the  prophecy.  But  enough,  —  more 
than  enough !  Hist,  Chalcan !  What  I  have 
said  and  you  listened  to  —  yea,  the  mere  listening 
—  would  suffice,  if  told  in  the  right  ears,  to  send 
us  both  straightway  to  the  tigers.  I  have  paid 
you  for  your  snuff,  and  the  divine  sneeze.  In 
retailing,  recollect,  I  am  not  the  manufacturer. 
Farewell." 

"Stay  a  moment,  most  noble  chief,  —  but  a 
moment,"  said  the  Chalcan.  "I  have  invented 
a  drink  which  I  desire  you  to  inaugurate.  If  I 
may  be  counted  a  judge,  it  is  fit  for  a  god." 

"  A  judge !  You  ?  Where  is  the  man  who 
would  deny  you  that  excellence  ?  Your  days 
have  been  spent  in  the  practice ;  nay,  your  whole 
life  has  been  one  long,  long  drink.  Make  haste. 
I  will  wager  pulque  is  chief  in  the  compound." 


COURT  GOSSIP  181 

The  broker  went  out,  and  directly  returned, 
bearing  on  a  waiter  a  Cholulan  goblet  full  of  cool 
liquor,  exquisitely  colored  with  the  rich  blood  of 
the  cactus  apple.  Maxtla  sipped,  drank,  then 
swore  the  drink  was  without  a  rival. 

"Look  you,  Chalcan.  They  say  we  are  in- 
debted to  our  heroes,  our  minstrels,  and  our 
priests,  and  I  believe  so ;  but  hereafter  I  shall  go 
farther  in  the  faith.  This  drink  is  worth  a  vic- 
tory, is  pleasant  as  a  song,  and  has  all  the  virtues 
of  a  prayer.  Do  not  laugh.  I  am  in  earnest. 
You  shall  be  canonized  with  the  best  of  them. 
To  show  that  I  am  no  vain  boaster,  you  shall 
come  to  the  banquet  to-morrow,  and  the  king 
shall  thank  you.  Put  on  your  best  tilmatli,  and 
above  all  else,  beware  that  the  vase  holding  this 
liquor  is  not  empty  when  I  call  for  it.  Farewell !  " 


VIII 

GUATAMOZIN   AND   MUALOX 

the  steps  of  the  old  Cu  of 
Quetzal',  early  in  the  evening 
of  the  banquet,  went  Guatamo- 
zin  unattended.  As  the  royal 
interdiction  rested  upon  his 
coming  to  the  capital,  he  was  muffled  in  a  priestly 
garb,  which  hid  his  face  and  person,  but  could 
not  all  disguise  the  stately  bearing  that  so  dis- 
tinguished him.  Climbing  the  steps  slowly,  and 
without  halting  at  the  top  to  note  the  signs  of  the 
city,  all  astir  with  life,  he  crossed  the  azoteas, 
entered  the  chamber  most  sanctified  by  the  pre- 
sence of  the  god,  and  before  the  image  bowed 
awhile  in  prayer.  Soon  Mualox  came  in. 

"  Ask  anything  that  is  not  evil,  O  best  beloved 


GUATAMOZIN   AND    MUALOX  183 

of  Quetzal',  and  it  shall  be  granted,"  said  the 
paba  solemnly,  laying  a  hand  upon  the  visitor's 
shoulder.  "  I  knew  you  were  coming ;  I  saw  you 
on  the  lake.  Arise,  my  son." 

Guatamozin  stood  up,  and  flung  back  his  hood. 

"  The  house  is  holy,  Mualox,  and  I  have  come 
to  speak  of  the  things  of  life  that  have  little  to  do 
with  religion." 

"  That  is  not  possible.  Everything  has  to  do 
with  life,  which  has  all  to  do  with  heaven.  Speak 
out.  This  presence  will  keep  you  wise ;  if  your 
thoughts  be  of  wrong,  it  is  not  likely  you  will 
give  them  speech  in  the  very  ear  of  Quetzal'." 

Slowly  the  'tzin  then  said,  — 

"Thanks,  father.  In  what  I  have  to  say,  I 
will  be  brief,  and  endeavor  not  to  forget  the  pre- 
sence. You  love  me,  and  I  am  come  for  counsel. 
You  know  how  often  those  most  .discreet  in  the 
affairs  of  others  are  foolish  in  what  concerns 
themselves.  Long  time  ago  you  taught  me  the 
importance  of  knowledge ;  how  it  was  the  divine 
secret  of  happiness,  and  stronger  than  a  spear  to 
win  victories,  and  better  in  danger  than  a  shield 
seven  times  quilted.  Now  I  have  come  to  say 
that  my  habits  of  study  have  brought  evil  upon 
me  ;  out  of  the  solitude  in  which  I  was  toiling  to 
lay  up  a  great  knowlege,  a  misfortune  has  arisen, 
father  to  my  ruin.  My  stay  at  home  has  been 
misconstrued.  Enemies  have  said  I  loved  books 
less  than  power  ;  they  charge  that  in  the  quiet 
of  my  gardens  I  have  been  taking  council  of  my 
ambition,  which  nothing  satisfies  but  the  throne  ; 


184  THE   FAIR   GOD 

and  so  they  have  estranged  from  me  the  love  of 
the  king.  Here  against  his  order,  forbidden  the 
city,"  —  and  as  he  spoke  he  raised  his  head 
proudly,  —  "  forbidden  the  city,  behold  me,  paba, 
a  banished  man  !  " 

Mualox  smiled,  and  grim  satisfaction  was  in 
the  smile. 

"If  you  seek  sympathy,"  he  said,  "the  errand 
is  fruitless.  I  have  no  sorrow  for  what  you  call 
your  misfortune." 

"Let  me  understand  you,  father." 

"I  repeat,  I  have  no  sorrow  for  you.  Why 
should  I  ?  I  see  you  as  you  should  see  yourself. 
You  confirm  the  lessons  of  which  you  complain. 
Not  vainly  that  you  wrought  in  solitude  for  know- 
ledge, which,  while  I  knew  it  would  make  you  a 
mark  for  even  kingly  envy,  I  also  intended  should 
make  you  superior  to  misfortunes  and  kings. 
Understand  you  now  ?  What  matters  that  you 
are  maligned  ?  What  is  banishment  ?  They  only 
liken  you  the  more  to  Quetzal',  whose  coming 
triumph,  —  heed  me  well,  O  'tzin,  —  whose  com- 
ing triumph  shall  be  your  triumph." 

The  look  and  voice  of  the  holy  man  were  those 
of  one  with  authority. 

"  For  this  time,"  he  continued,  "  and  others 
like  it,  yet  to  come,  I  thought  to  arm  your  soul 
with  a  strong  intelligence.  Your  life  is  to  be  a 
battle  against  evil ;  fail  not  yourself  in  the  begin- 
ning. Success  will  be  equal  to  your  wisdom  and 
courage.  But  your  story  was  not  all  told." 

The  'tzin's  face  flushed,  and  he  replied,  with 
some  faltering,  — 


GUATAMOZIN  AND   MUALOX  185 

"  You  have  known  and  encouraged  the  love  I 
bear  the  princess  Tula,  and  counted  on  it  as  the 
means  of  some  great  fortune  in  store  for  me. 
Yet,  in  part  at  least,  I  am  banished  on  that  ac- 
count. O  Mualox,  the  banquet  which  the  king 
holds  to-night  is  to  make  public  the  betrothal  of 
Tula  to  Iztlil',  the  Tezcucan  ! " 

"  Well,  what  do  you  intend  ?  " 

"  Nothing.  Had  the  trouble  been  a  friend's,  I 
might  have  advised  him  ;  but  being  my  own,  I 
have  no  confidence  in  myself.  I  repose  on  your 
discretion  and  friendship." 

Mualox  softened  his  manner,  and  said,  plea- 
santly at  first,  "  O  'tzin,  is  humanity  all  frailty  ? 
Must  chief  and  philosopher  bow  to  the  passion, 
like  a  slave  or  a  dealer  in  wares  ?  "  Suddenly  he 
became  serious  ;  his  eyes  shone  full  of  the  magne- 
tism he  used  so  often  and  so  well.  "  Can  Guata- 
mozin  find  nothing  higher  to  occupy  his  mind 
than  a  trouble  born  of  a  silly  love  ?  Unmanned 
by  such  a  trifle  ?  Arouse  !  Ponder  the  mightier 
interests  in  peril !  What  is  a  woman,  with  all 
a  lover's  gild  about  her,  to  the  nation  ?  " 

"The  nation  ?"  repeated  the  'tzin  slowly. 

The  paba  looked  reverently  up  to  the  idol.  "  I 
have  withdrawn  from  the  world,  I  live  but  for 
Quetzal'  and  Anahuac.  Oh,  generously  has  the 
god  repaid  me !  He  has  given  me  to  look  out 
upon  the  future ;  all  that  is  to  come  affecting  my 
country  he  has  shown  me."  Turning  to  the  'tzin 
again,  he  said  with  emphasis,  "  I  could  tell  mar- 
vels,—  let  this  content  you:  words  cannot  paint 


186  THE    FAIR   GOD 

the  danger  impending  over  Sur  country,  over  Ana- 
huac,  the  beautiful  and  beloved ;  her  existence, 
and  the  glory  and  power  that  make  her  so  worthy 
love  like  ours,  are  linked  to  your  action.  Your 
fate,  O  'tzin,  and  hers,  and  that  of  the  many 
nations,  are  one  and  the  same.  Accept  the  words 
as  a  prophecy ;  wear  them  in  memory ;  and  when, 
as  now,  you  are  moved  by  a  trifling  fear  or  anger, 
they  should  and  will  keep  you  from  shame  and 
folly." 

Both  then  became  silent.  The  paba  might 
have  been  observing  the  events  of  the  future,  as, 
one  by  one,  they  rose  and  passed  before  his  ab- 
stracted vision.  Certain  it  was,  with  the  thoughts 
of  the  warrior  there  mixed  an  ambition  no  longer 
selfish,  but  all  his  country's. 

Mualox  finally  concluded.  "The  future  belongs 
to  the  gods ;  only  the  present  is  ours.  Of  that 
let  us  think.  Admit  your  troubles  worthy  ven- 
geance:  dare  you  tell  me  what  you  thought  of 
doing  ?  My  son,  why  are  you  here  ?  " 

"  Does  my  father  seek  to  mortify  me  ? " 

"Would  the  'tzin  have  me  encourage  folly,  if 
not  worse  ?  And  that  in  the  presence  of  my  god 
and  his  ? " 

"  Speak  plainly,  Mualox." 

"  So  I  will.  Obey  the  king.  Go  not  to  the 
palace  to-night.  If  the  thought  of  giving  the 
woman  to  another  is  so  hard,  could  you  endure 
the  sight  ?  Think  :  if  present,  what  could  you  do 
to  prevent  the  betrothal  ?  " 

A  savage  anger  flashed  from  the  'tzin's  face, 


GUATAMOZIN   AND   MAULOX  187 

and  he  answered,  "  What  could  I  ?  Slay  the 
Tezcucan  on  the  step  of  the  throne,  though  I 
died ! " 

"  It  would  come  to  that.  And  Anahuac ! 
What  then  of  her  ? "  said  Mualox,  in  a  voice  of 
exceeding  sorrow. 

The  love  the  warrior  bore  his  country  at  that 
moment  surpassed  all  others,  and  his  rage  passed 
away. 

"  True,  most  true  !  If  it  should  be  as  you  say, 
that  my  destiny  "  — 

"  If !  O  'tzin,  if  you  live !  If  Anahuac  lives  ! 
If  there  are  gods  !  "  - 

"Enough,  Mualox!  I  know  what  you  would 
say.  Content  you;  I  give  you  all  faith.  The 
wrong  that  tortures  me  is  not  altogether  that  the 
woman  is  to  be  given  to  another ;  her  memory  I 
could  pluck  from  my  heart  as  a  feather  from  my 
helm.  If  that  were  all,  I  could  curse  the  fate, 
and  submit ;  but  there  is  more :  for  the  sake  of 
a  cowardly  policy  I  have  been  put  to  shame ; 
treachery  and  treason  have  been  crowned,  loyalty 
and  blood  disgraced.  Hear  me,  father!  After 
the  decree  of  interdiction  was  served  upon  me,  I 
ventured  to  send  a  messenger  to  the  king,  and  he 
was  spurned  from  the  palace.  Next  went  the 
lord  Cuitlahua,  uncle  of  mine,  and  true  lover  of 
Anahuac ;  he  was  forbidden  the  mention  of  my 
name.  I  am  not  withdrawn  from  the  world ; 
my  pride  will  not  down  at  a  word ;  so  wronged, 
I  cannot  reason  ;  therefore  I  am  here." 

"  And  the  coming  is  a  breach  of  duty ;  the  risk 


i88  THE   FAIR  GOD 

is  great.  Return  to  Iztapalapan  before  the  mid- 
night is  out.  And  I,  —  but  you  do  not  know,  my 
son,  what  a  fortune  has  befallen  me."  The  paba 
smiled  faintly.  "I  have  been  promoted  to  the 
palace;  I  am  a  councilor  at  the  royal  table." 

"  A  councilor !     You,  father  ? " 

The  good  man's  face  grew  serious  again.  "  I 
accepted  the  appointment,  thinking  good  might 
result.  But,  alas !  the  hope  was  vain.  Monte- 
zuma,  once  so  wise,  is  past  counsel.  He  will  take 
no  guidance.  And  what  a  vanity !  O  'tzin,  the 
asking  me  to  the  palace  was  itself  a  crime,  since 
it  was  to  make  me  a  weapon  in  his  hand  with 
which  to  resist  the  holy  Quetzal'.  As  though  I 
could  not  see  the  design  !  " 

He  laughed  scornfully,  and  then  said,  "  But  be 
not  detained,  my  son.  What  I  can,  I  will  do  for 
you  ;  at  the  council-table,  and  elsewhere,  as  oppor- 
tunity may  offer,  I  will  exert  my  influence  for 
your  restoration  to  the  city  and  palace.  Go  now. 
Farewell ;  peace  be  with  you.  To-morrow  I  will 
send  you  tidings." 

Thereupon  he  went  out  of  the  tower,  and  down 
into  the  temple. 


IX 


A    KINGS   BANQUET 

T  last  the  evening  of  the  royal 
banquet  arrived,  —  theme  of  in- 
cessant talk  and  object  of  prepa- 
ration for  two  days  and  a  night, 
out  of  the  capital  no  less  than  in  it ;  for  all  the 
nobler  classes  within  a  convenient  radius  of  the 
lake  had  been  bidden,  and,  with  them,  people  of 
distinction,  such  as  successful  artists,  artisans, 
and  merchants. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  a  king  of  Monte- 
zuma's  subtlety  in  matters  governmental  could 
overlook  the  importance  of  the  social  element,  or 
neglect  it.  Education  imports  a  society ;  more 
yet,  academies,  such  as  were  in  Tenochtitlan  for 
the  culture  of  women,  always  import  a  refined 
and  cultivated  society.  And  such  there  was  in 
the  beautiful  valley. 

My  picture  of  the  entertainment  will  be  feeble, 


IQO  THE   FAIR   GOD 

I  know,  and  I  give  it  rather  as  a  suggestion  of 
the  reality,  which  was  gorgeous  enough  to  be 
interesting  to  any  nursling  even  of  the  court  of 
His  Most  Catholic  Majesty ;  for,  though  heathen 
in  religion,  Montezuma  was  not  altogether  barba- 
rian in  taste ;  and,  sooth  to  say,  no  monarch  in 
Christendom  better  understood  the  influence  of 
kingliness  splendidly  maintained.  About  it,  more- 
over, was  all  that  makes  chivalry  adorable,  —  the 
dance,  the  feast,  the  wassail ;  brave  men,  fair 
women,  and  the  majesty  of  royalty  in  state  amidst 
its  most  absolute  proofs  of  power. 

On  such  occasions  it  was  the  custom  of  the 
great  king  to  throw  open  the  palace,  with  all  its 
accompaniments,  for  the  delight  of  his  guests, 
admitting  them  freely  to  aviary,  menagerie,  and 
garden,  the  latter  itself  spacious  enough  for  the 
recreation  of  thirty  thousand  persons. 

The  house,  it  must  be  remembered,  formed  a 
vast  square,  with  patios  or  courtyards  in  the 
interior,  around  which  the  rooms  were  ranged. 
The  part  devoted  to  domestic  uses  was  magnifi- 
cently furnished.  Another  very  considerable  por- 
tion was  necessary  to  the  state  and  high  duties  of 
the  monarch  ;  such  were  offices  for  his  function- 
aries, quarters  for  his  guards,  and  chambers  for 
the  safe  deposit  of  the  archives  of  the  Empire, 
consisting  of  maps,  laws,  decrees  and  proclama- 
tions, accounts  and  reports  financial  and  military, 
and  the  accumulated  trophies  of  campaigns  and 
conquests  innumerable.  When  we  consider  the 
regard  in  which  the  king  was  held  by  his  people, 


A    KING'S   BANQUET  191 

amounting  almost  to  worship,  and  their  curiosity 
to  see  all  that  pertained  to  his  establishment,  an 
idea  may  be  formed  of  what  the  palace  and  its 
appurtenances  were  as  accessories  to  one  of  his 
entertainments. 

Passing  from  the  endless  succession  of  rooms, 
the  visitor  might  go  into  the  garden,  where  the 
walks  were  freshly  strewn  with  shells,  the  shrub- 
bery studded  with  colored  lamps,  the  fountains 
all  at  play,  and  the  air  loaded  with  the  perfume  of 
flowers,  which  were  an  Aztec  passion,  and  seemed 
everywhere  a  part  of  everything. 

And  all  this  convenience  and  splendor  was  not 
wasted  upon  an  inappreciative  horde,  —  ferocious 
Caribs  or  simple  children  of  Hispaniola.  At  such 
times  the  order  requiring  the  wearing  of  nequen 
was  suspended  ;  so  that  in  the  matter  of  costume 
there  were  no  limits  upon  the  guest,  except  such 
as  were  prescribed  by  his  taste  or  condition.  In 
the  animated  current  that  swept  from  room  to 
room  and  from  house  to  garden  might  be  seen 
citizens  in  plain  attire,  and  warriors  arrayed  in 
regalia  which  permitted  all  dazzling  colors,  and 
pabas  hooded,  surpliced,  and  gowned,  brooding 
darkly  even  there,  and  stoled  minstrels,  with  their 
harps,  and  pages,  gay  as  butterflies,  while  over  all 
was  the  beauty  of  the  presence  of  lovely  women. 

Yet,  withal,  the  presence  of  Montezuma  was 
more  attractive  than  the  calm  night  in  the  garden  ; 
neither  stars,  nor  perfumed  summer  airs,  nor 
singing  fountains,  nor  walks  strewn  with  shells, 
nor  chant  of  minstrels  could  keep  the  guests  from 


I92  THE    FAIR   GOD 

the  great  hall  where  he  sat  in  state ;  so  that  it  was 
alike  the  centre  of  all  coming  and  all  going.  There 
the  aged  and  sedate  whiled  away  the  hours  in 
conversation ;  the  young  danced,  laughed,  and 
were  happy ;  and  in  the  common  joyousness  none 
exceeded  the  beauties  of  the  harem,  transiently 
released  from  the  jealous  thraldom  that  made  the 
palace  their  prison. 

From  the  house-tops,  or  from  the  dykes,  or  out 
on  the  water,  the  common  people  of  the  capital, 
in  vast  multitudes,  witnessed  the  coming  of  the 
guests  across  the  lake.  The  rivalry  of  the  great 
lords  and  families  was  at  all  times  extravagant  in 
the  matter  of  pomp  and  show  ;  a  king's  banquet, 
however,  seemed  its  special  opportunity,  and  the 
lake  its  particular  field  of  display.  The  king 
Cacama,  for  example,  left  his  city  in  a  canoe  of 
exquisite  workmanship,  pranked  with  pennons, 
ribbons,  and  garlands ;  behind  him,  or  at  his  right 
and  left,  constantly  ploying  and  deploying,  at- 
tended a  flotilla  of  hundreds  of  canoes  only  a  little 
less  rich  in  decoration  than  his  own,  and  timed  in 
every  movement,  even  that  of  the  paddles,  by  the 
music  of  conch-shells  and  tambours  ;  yet  princely 
as  the  turn-out  was,  it  did  not  exceed  that  of  the 
lord  Cuitlahua,  governor  of  Iztapalapan.  And  if 
others  were  inferior  to  them  in  extravagance, 
nevertheless  they  helped  clothe  the  beloved  sea 
with  a  beauty  and  interest  scarcely  to  be  imagined 
by  people  who  never  witnessed  or  read  of  the 
grand  Venetian  pageants. 

Arrived    at  the  capital,  the   younger   warriors 


A   KING'S   BANQUET  193 

proceeded  to  the  palace  afoot ;  while  the  matrons 
and  maids,  and  the  older  and  more  dignified  lords, 
were  borne  thither  in  palanquins.  By  evening 
the  whole  were  assembled. 

About  the  second  quarter  of  the  night  two  men 
came  up  the  great  street  to  the  palace,  and  made 
their  way  through  the  palanquins  stationed  there 
in  waiting.  They  were  guests;  so  their  garbs 
bespoke  them.  One  wore  the  gown  and  carried 
the  harp  of  a  minstrel ;  very  white  locks  escaped 
from  his  hood,  and  a  staff  was  required  to  assist 
his  enfeebled  steps.  The  other  was  younger,  and 
with  consistent  vanity  sported  a  military  costume. 
To  say  the  truth,  his  extremely  warlike  demeanor 
lost  nothing  by  the  flash  of  a  dauntless  eye  and  a 
step  that  made  the  pave  ring  again. 

An  official  received  them  at  the  door,  and,  by 
request,  conducted  them  to  the  garden. 

"This  is  indeed  royal !  "  the  warrior  said  to  the 
minstrel.  "  It  bewilders  me.  Be  yours  the  lead." 

"I  know  the  walks  as  a  deer  his  paths,  or  a 
bird  the  brake  that  shelters  its  mate.  Come," 
and  the  voice  was  strangely  firm  for  one  so  aged, 
—  "  come,  let  us  see  the  company." 

Now  and  then  they  passed  ladies,  escorted  by 
gallants,  and  frequently  there  were  pauses  to  send 
second  looks  after  the  handsome  soldier,  and 
words  of  pity  for  his  feeble  companion.  By  and 
by,  coming  to  an  intersection  of  the  walk  they 
were  pursuing,  they  were  hailed,  —  "  Stay,  min- 
strel, and  give  us  a  song." 

By  the  door  of  a  summer-house  they  saw,  upon 


194  THE   FAIR  GOD 

stopping,  a  girl  whose  beauty  was  worthy  the 
tribute  she  sought.  The  elder  sat  down  upon  a 
bench  and  replied, — 

"  A  song  is  gentle  medicine  for  sorrows.  Have 
you  such  ?  You  are  very  young." 

Her  look  of  sympathy  gave  place  to  one  of 
surprise. 

"  I  would  I  were  assured  that  minstrelsy  is  your 
proper  calling." 

"  You  doubt  it !  Here  is  my  harp  :  a  soldier  is 
known  by  his  shield." 

"  But  I  have  heard  your  voice  before,"  she  per- 
sisted. 

"  The  children  of  Tenochtitlan,  and  many  who 
are  old  now,  have  heard  me  sing." 

"  But  I  am  a  Chalcan." 

"  I  have  sung  in  Chalco." 

"  May  I  ask  your  name  ?  " 

"There  are  many  streets  in  the  city,  and  on 
each  they  call  me  differently." 

The  girl  was  still  perplexed. 

"  Minstrels  have  patrons,"  she  said  directly ; 
"who  "  — 

"  Nay,  child,  this  soldier  here  is  all  the  friend  I 
have." 

Some  one  then  threw  aside  the  vine  that  draped 
the  door.  While  the  minstrel  looked  to  see  who 
the  intruder  was,  his  inquisitor  gazed  at  the  sol- 
dier, who,  on  his  part,  saw  neither  of  them  ;  he 
was  making  an  obeisance  so  very  low  that  his  face 
and  hand  both  touched  the  ground. 

"  Does  the  minstrel  intend  to  sing,  Yet  eve  ?  " 


A    KING'S    BANQUET  <95 

asked  Nenetzin,  stepping  into  the  light  that 
flooded  the  walk. 

The  old  man  bent  forward  on  his  seat. 

"Heaven's  best  blessing  on  the  child  of  the 
king !  It  should  be  a  nobler  hand  than  mine  that 
strikes  a  string  to  one  so  beautiful." 

The  comely  princess  replied,  her  face  beaming 
with  pleasure,  "  Verily,  minstrel,  much  familiarity 
with  song  has  given  you  courtly  speech." 

"  I  have  courtly  friends,  and  only  borrow  their 
words.  This  place  is  fair,  but  to  my  dull  fancy  it 
seems  that  a  maiden  would  prefer  the  great  hall, 
unless  she  has  a  grief  to  indulge." 

"  Oh,  I  have  a  great  grief,"  she  returned ; 
"  though  I  do  borrow  it  as  you  your  words." 

"  Then  you  love  some  one  who  is  unhappy.  I 
understand.  Is  this  child  in  your  service  ? "  he 
asked,  looking  at  Yeteve. 

"  Call  it  mine.  She  loves  me  well  enough  to 
serve  me." 

The  minstrel  struck  the  strings  of  his  harp 
softly,  as  if  commencing  a  mournful  story. 

"I  have  a  friend,"  he  said,  "a  prince  and  war- 
rior, whose  presence  here  is  banned.  He  sits  in 
his  palace  to-night,  and  is  visited  by  thoughts  such 
as  make  men  old  in  their  youth.  He  has  seen 
much  of  life,  and  won  fame,  but  is  fast  finding 
that  glory  does  not  sweeten  misfortune,  and  that 
of  all  things  ingratitude  is  the  most  bitter.  His 
heart  is  set  upon  a  noble  woman  ;  and  now,  when 
his  love  is  strongest,  he  is  separated  from  her,  and 
may  not  say  farewell.  Oh,  it  is  not  in  the  ear  of  a 


196  THE   FAIR   GOD 

true  woman  that  lover  so  unhappy  could  breathe 
his  story  in  vain.  What  would  the  princess  Ne- 
netzin  do,  if  she  knew  a  service  of  hers  might 
soothe  his  great  grief  ?  " 

Nenetzin's  eyes  were  dewy  with  tears. 

"  Good  minstrel,  I  know  the  story ;  it  is  the 
'tzin's.  Are  you  a  friend  of  his  ?  " 

"  His  true  friend.  I  bring  his  farewell  to 
Tula." 

"I  will  serve  him."  And,  stepping  to  the  old 
man,  she  laid  her  hand  on  his.  "  Tell  me  what 
to  do,  and  what  you  would  have." 

"  Only  a  moment's  speech  with  her." 

"  With  Tula  ?  " 

"  A  moment  to  say  the  farewell  he  cannot. 
Go  to  the  palace,  and  tell  her  what  I  seek.  I  will 
follow  directly.  Tell  her  she  may  know  me  in 
the  throng  by  these  locks,  whose  whiteness  will 
prove  my  sincerity  and  devotion.  And  further,  I 
will  twine  my  harp  with  a  branch  of  this  vine  ;  its 
leaves  will  mark  me,  and  at  the  same  time  tell  her 
that  his  love  is  green  as  in  the  day  a  king's  smile 
sunned  it  into  ripeness.  Be  quick.  The  moment 
comes  when  she  cannot  in  honor  listen  to  the 
message  I  am  to  speak." 

He  bent  over  his  harp  again,  and  Nenetzin  and 
Yeteve  hurried  away. 


THE  'TZIN'S  LOVE 

HE  minstrel  stayed  awhile  to  dress 
his  harp  with  the  vine. 

"  A  woman  would  have  done  it 
better;  they  have  a  special  cun- 
ning for  such  things  ;  yet  it  will 
serve  the  purpose.  Now  let  us 
on !  "  he  said,  when  the  task  was 
finished. 

To  the  palace  they  then  turned 
their  steps.  As  they  approached 
it,  the  walk  became  more  crowded 
with  guests.  Several  times  the 
minstrel  was  petitioned  to  stay 
and  sing,  but  he  excused  himself. 


198  THE   FAIR  GOD 

He  proceeded,  looking  steadily  at  the  ground,  as 
is  the  custom  of  the  very  aged.  Amongst  others, 
they  met  Maxtla,  gay  in  his  trappings  as  a  parrot 
from  the  Great  River. 

"Good  minstrel,"  he  said,  "  in  your  wanderings 
through  the  garden,  have  you  seen  Iztlu",  the 
Tezcucan  ? " 

"  I  have  not  seen  the  Tezcucan.  I  should  look 
for  him  in  the  great  hall,  where  his  bride  is,  rather 
than  in  the  garden,  dreaming  of  his  bridal." 

"  Well  said,  uncle !  I  infer  your  harp  is  not 
carried  for  show ;  you  can  sing !  I  will  try  you 
after  a  while." 

When  he  was  gone,  the  minstrel  spoke  bit- 
terly, - 

"  Beware  of  the  thing  known  in  the  great  house 
yonder  as  policy.  A  week  ago  the  lord  Maxtla 
would  have  scorned  to  be  seen  hunting  the  Tez- 
cucan, whom  he  hates." 

They  came  to  a  portal  above  which,  in  a  niche 
of  the  wall,  sat  the  teotl1  of  the  house,  grimly 
claiming  attention  and  worship.  Under  the  por- 
tal, past  the  guard  on  duty  there,  through  many 
apartments  full  of  objects  of  wonder  to  the  stran- 
ger, they  proceeded,  and,  at  last,  with  a  current 
of  guests  slowly  moving  in  the  same  direction, 
reached  the  hall  dominated  by  the  king,  where  the 
minstrel  thought  to  find  the  princess  Tula. 

"  Oh,  my  friend,  I  pray  you,  let  me  stay  here  a 
moment,"  said  the  warrior,  abashed  by  dread  of 
the  sudden  introduction  to  the  royal  presence. 
The  singer  heard  not,  but  went  on. 

1  A  household  god. 


THE   TZIN'S   LOVE  199 

Standing  by  the  door,  the  young  stranger 
looked  down  a  hall  of  great  depth  eastwardly, 
broken  by  two  rows  of  pillars  supporting  vast 
oaken  girders,  upon  which  rested  rafters  of  red 
cedar.  The  walls  were  divided  into  panels,  with 
borders  broad  and  intricately  arabesqued.  A  mas- 
sive bracket  in  the  centre  of  each  panel  held  the 
image  of  a  deity,  the  duplicate  of  the  idol  in  the 
proper  sanctuary ;  and  from  the  feet  of  the  image 
radiated  long  arms  of  wood,  well  carved,  crooked 
upward  at  the  elbows,  and  ending  with  shapely 
hands,  clasping  lanterns  of  aguave  which  emitted 
lights  of  every  tint.  In  the  central  space,  be- 
tween the  rows  of  pillars,  immense  chandeliers 
dropped  from  the  rafters,  so  covered  with  lamps 
that  they  looked  like  pyramids  aglow.  And  arms, 
and  images,  and  chandeliers,  and  even  the  huge 
pillars,  were  wreathed  in  garlands  of  cedar  boughs 
and  flowers,  from  which  the  air  drew  a  redolence 
as  of  morning  in  a  garden. 

Through  all  these  splendors,  the  gaze  of  the 
visitor  sped  to  the  further  end  of  the  hall,  and 
there  stayed  as  charmed.  He  saw  a  stage,  bright 
with  crimson  carpeting,  rising  three  steps  above 
the  floor,  and  extending  from  wall  to  wall ;  and  on 
that,  covered  with  green  plumaje,  a  dais,  on 
which,  in  a  chair  or  throne  glittering  with  bur- 
nished gold,  the  king  sat.  Above  him  spread  a 
canopy  fashioned  like  a  broad  sunshade,  the  staff 
resting  on  the  floor  behind  the  throne,  sustained 
by  two  full-armed  warriors,  who,  while  motionless 
as  statues,  were  yet  vigilant  as  sentinels.  Around 


200  THE  FAIR  GOD 

the  dais,  their  costumes  and  personal  decorations 
sharing  the  monarch's  splendor,  were  collected 
his  queens,  and  their  children,  and  all  who  might 
claim  connection  with  the  royal  family.  The  light 
shone  about  them  as  the  noonday,  so  full  that  all 
that  portion  of  the  hall  seemed  bursting  with  sun- 
shine. Never  satin  richer  than  the  emerald  cloth 
of  the  canopy,  inwoven,  as  it  was,  with  feathers 
of  humming-birds  !  Never  sheen  of  stars,  to  the 
eyes  of  the  wondering  stranger,  sharper  than  the 
glinting  of  the  jewels  with  which  it  was  fringed  ! 

And  the  king  appeared  in  happier  mood  than 
common,  though  the  deep,  serious  look  which 
always  accompanies  a  great  care  came  often  to 
his  face.  He  had  intervals  of  silence  also  ;  yet 
his  shrewdest  guests  were  not  permitted  to  see 
that  he  did  not  enjoy  their  enjoyment. 

His  queens  were  seated  at  his  left,  Tecalco 
deeply  troubled,  sometimes  tearful,  and  Acatlan 
cold  and  distant  ;  for,  in  thought  of  her  own  child, 
the  beautiful  Nenetzin,  she  trembled  before  the 
remorseless  policy. 

And  Tula,  next  to  the  king  the  recipient  of 
attention,  sat  in  front  of  her  mother,  never  more 
queenly,  never  so  unhappy.  Compliments  came 
to  her,  and  congratulations,  given  in  courtly  style  ; 
minstrels  extolled  her  grace  and  beauty,  and  the 
prowess  and  martial  qualities  of  the  high-born 
Tezcucan ;  and  priest  and  warrior  laid  their  hom- 
age at  her  feet.  Yet  her  demeanor  was  not  that 
of  the  glad  young  bride  ;  she  never  smiled,  and 
her  eyes,  commonly  so  lustrous,  were  dim  and 


THE   TZIN'S   LOVE  201 

hopeless  ;  her  thoughts  were  with  her  heart, 
across  the  lake  with  the  banished  'tzin. 

As  may  be  conjectured,  it  was  no  easy  game  to 
steal  her  from  place  so  conspicuous  ;  nevertheless, 
Nenetzin  awaited  the  opportunity. 

It  happened  that  Maxtla  was  quite  as  anxious 
to  get  the  monarch's  ear  for  the  benefit  of  his 
friend,  the  Chalcan,  —  in  fact,  for  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  latter's  newly  invented  drink.  Expe- 
rience taught  the  chief  when  the  felicitous  mo- 
ment arrived.  He  had  then  but  to  say  the  word  : 
a  page  was  sent,  the  liquor  brought.  Montezuma 
sipped,  smiled,  quaffed  deeper,  and  was  delighted. 

"There  is  nothing  like  it !  "  he  said.  "  Bring 
goblets  for  my  friends,  and  fill  up  again  ! " 

All  the  lordly  personages  about  him  had  then 
to  follow  his  example,  —  to  drink  and  approve. 
At  the  end,  Xoli  was  summoned. 

Nenetzin  saw  the  chance,  and  said,  "  O  Tula, 
such  a  song  as  we  have  heard !  It  was  sweeter 
than  that  of  the  bird  that  wakes  us  in  the  morn- 
ing, sweeter  than  all  the  flutes  in  the  hall." 

"  And  the  singer,  —  who  was  he  ? " 

Neither  Nenetzin  nor  Yeteve  could  tell  his 
name. 

"He  charmed  us  so,"  said  the  former,  "that 
we  thought  only  of  taking  you  to  hear  him. 
Come,  go  with  us.  There  never  was  such  music 
or  musician." 

And  the  three  came  down  from  the  platform 
unobserved  by  the  king.  When  the  minstrel's 
message  was  delivered,  then  was  shown  how  well 


202  THE   FAIR   GOD 

the  Tezcucan  had  spoken  when  he  said  of  the 
royal  children,  "They  are  all  beautiful,  but  only 
one  is  fitted  to  be  a  warrior's  wife." 

"  Let  us  see  the  man,"  said  Tula.  "  How  may 
we  know  him,  Nenetzin  ? " 

And  they  went  about  eagerly  looking  for  the 
singer  with  the  gray  locks  and  the  vine-wreathed 
harp.  They  found  him  at  last  about  midway  the 
hall,  leaning  on  his  staff,  a  solitary  amidst  the 
throng.  No  one  thought  of  asking  him  for  a 
song ;  he  was  too  old,  too  like  one  come  from  a 
tomb  with  unfashionable  stories. 

"  Father,"  said  Tula,  "  we  claim  your  service. 
You  look  weary,  yet  you  must  know  the  ancient 
chants,  which,  though  I  would  not  like  to  say  it 
everywhere,  please  me  best.  Will  you  sing  ? " 

He  raised  his  head,  and  looked  at  her ;  she 
started.  Something  she  saw  in  his  eyes  that  had 
escaped  her  friends. 

"  A  song  from  me  ! "  he  replied,  as  if  aston- 
ished. "  No,  it  cannot  be.  I  have  known  some 
gentle  hearts,  and  studied  them  to  remember  ; 
but  long  since  they  went  to  dust.  You  do  not 
know  me.  Imagining  you  discerned  of  what  I 
was  thinking,  you  were  moved ;  you  only  pitied 
me,  here  so  desolate." 

As  he  talked,  she  recovered  her  composure. 

"Will  you  sing  for  me,  father?"  she  again 
asked. 

"  Oh,  willingly  !  My  memory  is  not  so  good  as 
it  used  to  be ;  yet  one  song,  at  least,  I  will  give 
you  from  the  numberless  ills  that  crowd  it." 


THE   'TZIN'S   LOVE  203 

He  looked  slowly  and  tremulously  around  at 
the  guests  who  had  followed  her,  or  stopped,  as 
they  were  passing,  to  hear  the  conversation. 

"  As  you  say,"  he  then  continued,  "  I  am  old 
and  feeble,  and  it  is  wearisome  to  stand  here; 
besides,  my  theme  will  be  sad,  and  such  as  should 
be  heard  in  quiet.  Time  was  when  my  harp  had 
honor,  —  to  me  it  seems  but  yesterday ;  but  now 
—  enough  !  Here  it  were  not  well  that  my  voice 
should  be  heard." 

She  caught  his  meaning,  and  her  whole  face 
kindled  ;  but  Nenetzin  spoke  first. 

"  Oh,  yes  ;  let  us  to  the  garden  !  " 

The  minstrel  bowed  reverently.  As  they 
started,  a  woman,  who  had  been  listening,  said, 
"  Surely,  the  noble  Tula  is  not  going !  The  man 
is  a  dotard  ;  he  cannot  sing ;  he  is  palsied." 

But  they  proceeded,  and  through  the  crowd 
and  out  of  the  hall  guided  the  trembling  minstrel. 
Coming  to  a  passage  that  seemed  to  be  deserted, 
they  turned  into  it,  and  Nenetzin,  at  Tula's  re- 
quest, went  back  to  the  king.  Then  a  change 
came  over  the  good  man ;  his  stooping  left  him, 
his  step  became  firm,  and,  placing  himself  in 
front,  he  said,  in  a  deep,  strong  voice,  — 

"It  is  mine  to  lead  now.  I  remember  these 
halls.  Once  again,  O  Tula,  let  me  lead  you  here, 
as  I  have  a  thousand  times  in  childhood." 

And  to  a  chamber  overlooking  the  garden,  by 
the  hand  he  led  her,  followed  by  Yeteve,  sobbing 
like  a  child.  A  dim  light  from  the  lamps  without 
disclosed  the  walls  hung  with  trophies  captured 


204  THE   FAIR   GOD 

in  wars  with  the  surrounding  tribes  and  nations. 
Where  the  rays  were  strongest,  he  stopped,  and 
removed  the  hood,  and  said  earnestly,  — 

"  Against  the  king's  command,  and  loving  you 
better  than  life,  O  Tula,  Guatamozin  has  come  to 
say  farewell." 

There  was  a  great  silence ;  each  heard  the 
beating  of  the  other's  heart. 

"  You  have  passed  from  me,"  he  continued, 
"  and  I  send  my  grief  after  you.  I  look  into  your 
face,  and  see  fade  our  youth,  our  hopes,  and  our 
love,  and  all  the  past  that  bore  it  relation.  The 
days  of  pleasantness  are  ended  ;  the  spring  that 
fed  the  running  brook  is  dry.  O  Tula,  dear  one, 
the  bird  that  made  us  such  sweet  music  is  song- 
less  forever !  " 

Her  anguish  was  too  deep  for  the  comfort  of 
words  or  tears.  Closer  he  clasped  her  hand. 

"  Oh,  that  power  should  be  so  faithless  !  Here 
are  banners  that  I  have  taken.  Yonder  is  a 
shield  of  a  king  of  Michuaca  whom  I  slew.  I 
well  remember  the  day.  Montezuma  led  the 
army ;  the  fight  was  hard,  the  peril  great ;  and 
after  I  struck  the  blow,  he  said  I  had  saved  his 
life,  and  vowed  me  boundless  love  and  a  splendid 
reward.  What  a  passion  the  field  of  fighting 
men  was !  And  yet  there  was  another  always 
greater.  I  had  dwelt  in  the  palace,  and  learned 
that  in  the  smile  of  the  noble  Tula  there  was  to 
my  life  what  the  sunshine  is  to  the  flower." 

He  faltered,  then  continued  brokenly,  — 

"  He  had  honors,  palaces,  provinces,  and  crowns 


THE  'TZIN'S   LOVE  205 

to  bestow;  but  witness,  O  gods,  whose  sacred 
duty  it  is  to  punish  ingratitude,  —  witness  that 
I  cared  more  to  call  Tula  wife  than  for  all  the 
multitude  of  his  princeliest  gifts  !  " 

And  now  fast  ran  the  tears  of  the  princess, 
through  sorrow  rising  to  full  womanhood,  while 
the  murky  chamber  echoed  with  the  sobs  of  Ye- 
teve.  If  the  ghost  of  the  barbarian  king  yet 
cared  for  the  shield  he  died  defending,  if  it  were 
there  present,  seeing  and  hearing,  its  revenge 
was  perfect. 

"  If  Guatamozin  —  so  dear  to  me  now,  so  dear 
always  —  will  overlook  the  womanly  selfishness 
that  could  find  a  pleasure  in  his  grief,  I  will  prove 
that  he  has  not  loved  unworthily.  You  have 
asked  nothing  of  me,  nor  urged  any  counsel,  and 
I  thank  you  for  the  moderation.  I  thank  you, 
also,  that  you  have  spoken  as  if  this  sorrow  were 
not  yours  more  than  mine.  Most  of  all,  O  'tzin,  I 
thank  you  for  not  accusing  me.  Need  I  say  how 
I  hate  the  Tezcucan  ?  or  that  I  am  given  away 
against  my  will  ?  I  am  to  go  as  a  price,  as  so 
much  cocoa,  in  purchase  of  the  fealty  of  a  wretch 
who  would  league  with  Mictlan  to  humble  my 
father.  I  am  a  weak  woman,  without  tribes  or 
banner,  and  therefore  the  wrong  is  put  upon  me. 
But  have  I  no  power  ? "  And,  trembling  with 
the  strong  purpose,  she  laid  her  hand  upon  his 
breast.  "Wife  will  I  never  be  except  of  Gua- 
tamozin. I  am  the  daughter  of  a  king.  My 
father,  at  least,  should  know  me.  He  may  sell 
me,  but,  thank  the  holy  gods,  I  am  the  keeper  of 


206  THE   FAIR   GOD 

my  own  life.  And  what  would  life  be  with  the 
base  Tezcucan  for  my  master  ?  Royal  power  in 
a  palace  of  pearl  and  gold  would  not  make  it 
worth  the  keeping.  O  'tzin,  you  never  threw  a 
worthless  leaf  upon  the  lake  more  carelessly  than 
I  would  then  fling  this  poor  body  there ! " 

Closer  to  his  heart  he  pressed  the  hand  on  his 
breast. 

"  To  you,  to  you,  O  Tula,  be  the  one  blessing 
greater  than  all  others  which  the  gods  keep  back 
in  the  Sun!  So  only  can  you  be  rewarded.  I 
take  your  words  as  an  oath.  Keep  them,  only 
keep  them,  and  I  will  win  for  you  all  that  can  be 
won  by  man.  What  a  time  is  coming  "  - 

Just  then  a  joyous  cry  and  a  burst  of  laughter 
from  the  garden  interrupted  his  passionate  speech, 
and  recalled  him  to  himself  and  the  present,  —  to 
the  present,,  which  was  not  to  be  satisfied  with 
lovers'  rhapsodies.  And  so  he  said,  when  next 
he  spoke,  — 

"  You  have  answered  my  most  jealous  wish. 
Go  back  now;  make  no  objection  to  the  Tezcu- 
can :  the  betrothal  is  not  the  bridal.  The  king 
and  Iztlil'  cannot  abide  together  in  peace.  I 
know  them." 

And  sinking  his  voice,  he  added,  "Your  hand 
is  on  my  heart,  and  by  its  beating  you  cannot  fail 
to  know  how  full  it  is  of  love.  Take  my  blessing 
to  strengthen  you.  Farewell.  I  will  return  to 
my  gardens  and  dreams." 

"  To  dreams  !  And  with  such  a  storm  coming 
upon  Anahuac  !  "  said  Tula.  "  No,  no  ;  to  dream 


THE   TZIN'S   LOVE  207 

Up,  clear  to  his  vision,  rose  the  destiny  prophe- 
sied for  him  by  Mualox.  As  he  pondered  it,  she 
said,  tearfully,  — 

"  I  love  my  father,  and  he  is  blind  or  mad. 
Now  is  his  peril  greatest,  now  most  he  needs 
friendship  and  help.  O  'tzin,  leave  him  not,  —  I 
conjure  you  by  his  past  kindness!  Remember 
I  am  his  child." 

Thereupon  he  dropped  her  hand,  and  walked 
the  floor,  while  the  banners  and  the  shields  upon 
the  walls,  and  the  mute  glory  they  perpetuated, 
whispered  of  the  wrong  and  shame  he  was  endur- 
ing. When  he  answered,  she  knew  how  great  the 
struggle  had  been,  and  that  the  end  was  scarcely 
a  victory. 

"  You  have  asked  that  of  me,  my  beloved,  which 
is  a  sore  trial,"  he  said.  "  I  will  not  deny  that  the 
great  love  I  bore  your  father  is  disturbed  by  bit- 
terness. Think  how  excessive  my  injury  is,  —  I 
who  revered  as  a  son,  and  have  already  put  myself 
in  death's  way  for  him.  In  the  halls,  and  out  in 
the  gardens,  my  name  has  been  a  jest  to-night. 
And  how  the  Tezcucan  has  exulted !  It  is  hard 
for  the  sufferer  to  love  his  wrong-doer,  —  oh,  so 
hard !  But  this  I  will,  and  as  an  oath  take  the 
promise :  as  long  as  the  king  acts  for  Anahuac, 
not  imperiling  her  safety  or  glory,  so  long  will  I 
uphold  him ;  this,  O  Tula,  from  love  of  country, 
and  nothing  more ! " 

And  as  the  future  was  veiled  against  the  woman 
and  dutiful  child,  she  replied  simply,  "  I  accept  the 
oath.  Now  lead  me  hence." 


208  THE   FAIR  GOD 

He  took  her  hand  again,  and  said,  "  In  peril  of 
life  I  came  to  say  farewell  forever;  but  I  will 
leave  a  kiss  upon  your  forehead,  and  plant  its 
memory  in  your  heart,  and  some  day  come  again 
to  claim  you  mine." 

And  he  put  his  arm  around  her,  and  left  the 
kiss  on  her  forehead,  and,  as  the  ancient  he 
entered,  conducted  the  unhappy  princess  from 
the  chamber  of  banners  back  to  the  hall  of  be- 
trothal. 


THE   CHANT 

F  you  have  there  anything  for  laugh- 
ter, Maxtla,  I  bid  you  welcome," 
said  the  king,  his  guests  around 
him. 

And  the  young  chief  knelt  on 
the  step  before  the  throne,  and 
answered  wifh  mock  solemnity,  "  Your  servant,  O 
king,  knows  your  great  love  of  minstrelsy,  and  how 
it  delights  you  to  make  rich  the  keeper  of  a  harp 
who  sings  a  good  song  well.  I  have  taken  one 
who  bears  him  like  a  noble  singer,  and  has  age 
to  warrant  his  experience." 

"  Call  you  that  the  man  ? "   asked   the   king, 
pointing  to  Guatamozin. 
"  He  is  the  man." 

The  monarch  laughed,  and  all  the  guests  listen- 
ing laughed. 

Now,  minstrels  were  common  on  all  festive  oc- 
casions ;  indeed,  an  Aztec  banquet  was  no  more 


210  THE   FAIR   GOD 

perfect  without  them  than  without  guests  :  but  it 
was  seldom  the  royal  halls  were  graced  by  one  so 
very  aged ;  so  that  the  bent  form  and  gray  locks, 
that  at  other  places  and  times  would  have  insured 
safety  and  respect,  now  excited  derision.  The 
men  thought  his  presence  there  presumptuous, 
the  women  laughed  at  him  as  a  dotard.  In  brief, 
the  'tzin's  peril  was  very  great. 

He  seemed,  however,  the  picture  of  aged  in- 
nocence, and  stood  before  the  throne,  his  head 
bowed,  his  face  shaded  by  the  hood,  leaning  hum- 
bly on  his  staff,  and  clasping  the  harp  close  to  his 
breast,  the  vines  yet  about  it.  So  well  did  he 
observe  his  disguise,  that  none  there,  save  Tula 
and  Yeteve,  might  dream  that  the  hood  and  dark 
gown  concealed  the  boldest  warrior  in  Tenochti- 
tlan.  The  face  of  the  priestess  was  turned  away ; 
but  the  princess  sat  a  calm  witness  of  the  scene ; 
either  she  had  too  much  pride  to  betray  her  soli- 
citude, or  a  confidence  in  his  address  so  absolute 
that  she  felt  none. 

"He  is  none  of  ours,"  said  the  king,  when  he 
had  several  times  scanned  the  minstrel.  "  If  the 
palace  ever  knew  him,  it  was  in  the  days  of 
Axaya',  from  whose  tomb  he  seems  to  have 
come." 

"As  I  came  in  from  the  garden,  I  met  him 
going  out,"  said  Maxtla,  in  explanation.  "  I  could 
not  bear  that  my  master  should  lose  such  a  pro- 
mise of  song.  Besides,  I  have  heard  the  veterans 
in  service  often  say  that  the  ancient  chants  were 
the  best,  and  I  thought  it  a  good  time  to  test  the 
boast." 


THE   CHANT  21 1 

The  gray  courtiers  frowned,  and  the  king 
laughed  again. 

"  My  minstrel  here  represented  that  old  time 
so  well,"  continued  Maxtla,  "that  at  first  I  was 
full  of  reverence  ;  therefore  I  besought  him  to 
come,  and  before  you,  O  king,  sing  the  chants 
that  used  to  charm  your  mighty  father.  I  thought 
it  no  dishonor  for  him  to  compete  with  the  singers 
now  in  favor,  they  giving  us  something  of  the  pre- 
sent time.  He  declined  in  courtliest  style ;  say- 
ing that,  though  his  voice  was  good,  he  was  too 
old,  and  might  shame  the  ancient  minstrelsy ; 
and  that,  from  what  he  had  heard,  my  master 
delighted  only  in  things  of  modern  invention.  A 
javelin  in  the  hand  of  a  sentinel  ended  the  argu- 
ment, and  he  finally  consented.  Wherefore,  O 
king,  I  claim  him  captive,  to  whom,  if  it  be  your 
royal  pleasure,  I  offer  liberty,  if  he  will  sing  in 
competition  before  this  noble  company." 

What  sport  could  be  more  royal  than  such 
poetic  contest,  —  the  old  reign  against  the  new  ? 
Montezuma  welcomed  the  idea. 

"The  condition  is  reasonable,"  he  said.  "Is 
there  a  minstrel  in  the  valley  to  call  it  other- 
wise ? " 

In  a  tone  scarcely  audible,  though  all  were  si- 
lent that  they  might  hear,  the  'tzin  answered,  — 

"  Obedience  was  the  first  lesson  of  every  min- 
strel of  the  old  time  ;  but  as  the  master  we  served 
loved  us  as  his  children,  we  never  had  occasion  to 
sing  for  the  purchase  of  our  liberty.  And  more,  — 
the  capture  of  a  harmless  singer,  though  he  were 


212  THE   FAIR   GOD 

not  aged  as  your  poor  slave,  O  king,  was  not 
deemed  so  brave  a  deed  as  to  be  rewarded  by  our 
master's  smile." 

The  speech,  though  feebly  spoken,  struck  both 
the  king  and  his  chief. 

"  Well  done,  uncle !  "  said  the  former,  laughing. 
"  And  since  you  have  tongue  so  sharp,  we  remove 
the  condition  "  • 

"  Thanks,  many  thanks,  most  mighty  king ! 
May  the  gods  mete  you  nothing  but  good !  I 
will  depart."  And  the  'tzin  stooped  till  his  harp 
struck  the  floor. 

The  monarch  waved  his  hand.  "  Stay.  I 
merely  spoke  of  the  condition  that  made  your 
liberty  depend  upon  your  song.  Go,  some  of  you, 
and  call  my  singers."  A  courtier  hurried  away, 
then  the  king  added,  "It  shall  be  well  for  him 
who  best  strikes  the  strings.  I  promise  a  prize 
that  shall  raise  him  above  trouble,  and  make  his 
life  what  a  poet's  ought  to  be." 

Guatamozin  advanced,  and  knelt  on  the  step 
from  which  Maxtla  had  risen,  and  said,  his  voice 
sounding  tremulous  with  age  and  infirmity,  — 

"  If  the  great  king  will  deign  to  heed  his  ser- 
vant again,  —  I  am  old  and  weak.  There  was  a 
time  when  I  would  have  rejoiced  to  hear  a  prize 
so  princely  offered  in  such  a  trial.  But  that  was 
many,  many  summers  ago.  And  this  afternoon, 
in  my  hut  by  the  lake-shore,  when  I  took  my 
harp,  all  covered  with  dust,  from  the  shelf  where 
it  had  so  long  lain  untouched  and  neglected,  and 
wreathed  it  with  this  fresh  vine,  thinking  a  gay 


THE   CHANT  213 

dress  might  give  it  the  appearance  of  use,  and 
myself  a  deceitful  likeness  to  the  minstrel  I  once 
was,  alas !  I  did  not  think  of  my  trembling  hand 
and  my  shattered  memory,  or  of  trial  like  this.  I 
only  knew  that  a  singer,  however  humble,  was 
privileged  at  your  banquet,  and  that  the  privi- 
lege was  a  custom  of  the  monarchs  now  in  their 
halls  in  the  Sun,  —  true,  kingly  men,  who,  at  time 
like  this,  would  have  put  gold  in  my  hand,  and 
bade  me  arise,  and  go  in  peace.  Is  Montezuma 
more  careless  of  his  glory  ?  .Will  he  compel  my 
song,  and  dishonor  my  gray  hair,  that  I  may  go 
abroad  in  Tenochtitlan  and  tell  the  story?  In 
pity,  O  king,  suffer  me  to  depart." 

The  courtiers  murmured,  and  even  Maxtla  re- 
lented, but  the  king  said,  "  Good  uncle,  you  excite 
my  curiosity  the  more.  If  your  common  speech 
have  in  it  such  a  vein  of  poetry,  what  must  the 
poetry  be?  And  then,  does  not  your  obstinacy 
outmeasure  my  cruelty  ?  Get  ready,  I  hold  the 
fortune.  Win  it,  and  I  am  no  king  if  it  be  not 
yours." 

The  interest  of  the  ^bystanders  now  exceeded 
their  pity.  It  was  novel  to  find  one  refusing  re- 
ward so  rich,  when  the  followers  of  his  art  were 
accustomed  to  gratify  an  audience,  even  one  lis- 
tener, upon  request. 

And,  seeing  that  escape  from  the  trial  was  im- 
possible, the  'tzin  arose,  resolved  to  act  boldly. 
Minstrelsy,  as  practiced  by  the  Aztecs,  it  must 
be  remembered,  was  not  singing  so  much  as  a 
form  of  chanting,  accompanied  by  rhythmical 


214  THE    FAIR   GOD 

touches  of  the  lyre  or  harp,  —  of  all  kinds  of 
choral  music  the  most  primitive.  This  he  had 
practiced,  but  in  the  solitude  of  his  study.  The 
people  present  knew  the  'tzin  Guatamo,  supposed 
to  be  in  his  palace  across  the  lake,  as  soldier, 
scholar,  and  prince,  but  not  as  poet  or  singer  of 
heroic  tales.  So  that  confident  minstrelsy  was 
now  but  another,  if  not  a  surer,  disguise.  And 
the  eyes  of  the  princess  Tula  shining  upon  him 
calmly  and  steadily,  he  said,  his  voice  this  time 
trembling  with  suppressed  wrath,  — 

"  Be  it  so,  O  king  !  Let  the  singers  come,  — 
let  them  come.  Your  slave  will  fancy  himself 
before  the  great  Axaya'  or  your  father,  not  less 
royal.  He  will  forget  his  age,  and  put  his  trust 
in  the  god  whose  story  he  will  sing." 

Then  other  amusements  were  abandoned,  and, 
intelligence  of  the  trial  flying  far  and  fast,  lords 
and  ladies,  soldiers  and  priests  crowded  about  the 
throne  and  filled  the  hall.  That  any  power  of 
song  could  belong  to  one  so  old  and  unknown 
was  incredible. 

"  He  is  a  provincial,  —  the  musician  of  one  of 
the  hamlets,"  said  a  courtier  derisively. 

"Yes,"  sneered  another,  "he  will  tell  how  the 
flood  came,  and  drowned  the  harvest  in  his  neigh- 
borhood." 

"  Or,"  ventured  a  third,  "  how  a  ravenous  vul- 
ture once  descended  from  the  hills,  and  carried 
off  his  pet  rabbit." 

By  and  by  the  royal  minstrels  came,  —  sleek, 
comely  men,  wearing  long  stoles  fringed  with 


THE   CHANT  215 

gold,  and  having  harps  inlaid  with  pearl,  and 
strung  with  silver  wires.  With  scarce  a  glance  at 
their  humble  competitor,  they  ranged  themselves 
before  the  monarch. 

The  trial  began.  One  after  another,  the  favor- 
ites were  called  upon.  The  first  sang  of  love, 
the  next  of  his  mistress,  the  third  of  Lake  Tez- 
cuco,  the  fourth  of  Montezuma,  his  power,  wisdom, 
and  glory.  Before  all  were  through,  the  patience 
of  the  king  and  crowd  was  exhausted.  The  pabas 
wanted  something  touching  religion,  the  soldiers 
something  heroic  and  resounding  with  war;  and 
all  waited  for  the  stranger,  as  men  listening  to  a 
story  wait  for  the  laughter  it  may  chance  to  ex- 
cite. How  were  they  surprised  !  Before  the  wo- 
manly tones  of  the  last  singer  ceased,  the  old 
man  dropped  his  staff,  and,  lifting  his  harp  against 
his  breast,  struck  its  chords,  and  in  a  voice  clear 
and  vibratory  as  the  blast  of  a  shell,  a  voice  that 
filled  the  whole  hall,  and  startled  maid  and  king 
alike,  began  his  chant. 

QUETZAL'. 

Beloved  of  the  Sun  !     Mother  of  the 

Brave  !     Azatlan,  the  North-born  !     Heard  be  thou 

In  my  far  launched  voice  !     I  sing  to  thy 

Listening  children  of  thee  and  Heaven. 

Vale  in  the  Sun,  where  dwell  the  Gods  !     Sum  of 

The  beautiful  art  thou !     Thy  forests  are 

Flowering  trees ;  of  crystal  and  gold  thy 

Mountains ;  and  liquid  light  are  thy  rivers 

Flowing,  all  murmurous  with  songs,  over 

Beds  of  stars.     O  Vale  of  Gods,  the  summery 

Sheen  that  flecks  Earth's  seas,  and  kisses  its  mountains, 

And  fairly  floods  its  plains,  we  know  is  of  thee,  — 


216  THE   FAIR   GOD 

A  sign  sent  us  from  afar,  that  we  may 
Feebly  learn  how  beautiful  is  Heaven  ! 

The  singer  rested  a  moment ;  then,  looking  in 
the  eyes  of  the  king,  with  a  rising  voice,  he  con- 
tinued, — 

Richest  hall  in  all  the  Vale  is  Quetzal's  — 

At  that  name  Montezuma  started.  The  min- 
strel noted  well  the  sign. 

O  none  so  fair  as  Quetzal's  !    The  winds  that 
Play  among  its  silver  columns  are  Love's 
Light  laughter,  while  of  Love  is  all  the  air 
About.     From  its  orient  porch  the  young 
Mornings  glean  the  glory  with  which  they  rise 
On  earth. 

First  God  and  fairest  was  Quetzal'. 
As  him  O  none  so  full  of  holiness, 
And  by  none  were  men  so  lov'd  !     Sat  he  always 
In  his  hall,  in  deity  roll'd,  watching 
Humanity,  its  genius,  and  its  struggles 
Upward.     But  most  he  watch'd  its  wars,  —  no  hero 
Fell  but  he  call'd  the  wand'ring  soul  in  love 
To  rest  with  him  forever. 

Sat  he  once 

Thus  watching,  and  where  least  expected,  in 
The  far  North,  by  stormy  Winter  rul'd,  up 
From  the  snows  he  saw  a  Nation  rise.     Shook 
Their  bolts,  glistened  their  shields,  flashed  the 
Light  of  their  fierce  eyes.     A  king,  in  wolf-skin 
Girt,  pointed  Southward,  and  up  the  hills,  through 
The  air,  to  the  Sun,  flew  the  name  —  Azatlan. 
Then  march'd  they;  by  day  and  night  they  march'd,  —  march'd 
Ever  South,  across  the  desert,  up  the 
Mountains,  down  the  mountains ;  leaping  rivers, 
Smiting  foes,  taking  cities, —  thus  they  march'd  ; 
Thus,  a  cloud  of  eagles,  roll'd  they  from  the 
North ;  thus  on  the  South  they  fell,  as  autumn 
Frosts  upon  the  fruits  of  summer  fall. 


THE   CHANT  217 

And  now  the  priests  were  glad,  —  the  singer 
sung  of  Heaven ;  and  the  warriors  were  aroused, 
—  his  voice  was  like  a  battle-cry,  and  the  theme 
was  the  proud  tradition  of  the  conquering  march 
of  their  fathers  from  the  distant  North.  Sitting 
with  clasped  hands  and  drooped  head,  the  king 
followed  the  chant,  like  one  listening  to  an  oracle. 
Yet  stronger  grew  the  minstrel's  voice,  — 

Pass'd 

Many  years  of  toil,  and  still  the  Nation  march 'd ; 
Still  Southward  strode  the  king ;  still  Sunward  rose 
The  cry  of  Azatlan  !  Azatlan  !    And 
Warmer,  truer,  brighter  grew  the  human 
Love  of  Quetzal'.     He  saw  them  reach  a  lake  ; 
As  dew  its  waves  were  clear ;  like  lover's  breath 
The  wind  flew  o'er  it.     'T  was  in  the  clime  of 
Starry  nights,  —  the  clime  of  orange-groves  and 
Plumy  palms. 

Then  Quetzal'  from  his  watching 
Rose.     Aside  he  flung  his  sunly  symbols. 
Like  a  falling  star,  from  the  Vale  of  Gods 
He  dropp'd,  like  a  falling  star  shot  through  the 
Shoreless  space  ;  like  a  golden  morning  reach 'd 
The  earth,  —  reach'd  the  lake.     Then  stay'd  the  Nation's 
March.     Still  Sunward  rose  the  cry,  but  Southward 
Strode  the  king  no  more. 

In  his  roomy  heart,  in 
The  chambers  of  its  love,  Quetzal'  took  the 
Nation.     He  swore  its  kings  should  be  his  sons, — 
They  should  conquer,  by  the  Sun,  he  swore !     In 
The  laughing  Lake  he  bade  them  build ;  and  up 
Sprang  Tenochtitlan,  of  the  human  love 
Of  Quetzal'  child  ;  up  rose  its  fire-lit  towers, 
Outspread  its  piles,  outstretched  its  streets 
Of  stone  and  wave.     And  as  the  city  grew, 
Still  stronger  grew  the  love  of  Quetzal'. 

Thine 
Is  the  Empire.     To  the  shields  again,  O 


218  THE   FAIR   GOD 

Azatlan  !     'T  was  thus  he  spoke  ;  and  feather'd 

Crest  and  oaken  spear,  the  same  that  from  the 

North  came  conquering,  through  the  valley, 

On  a  wave  of  war  went  swiftly  floating. 

Down  before  the  flaming  shields  fell  all  the 

Neighb'ring  tribes  ;  open  flew  the  cities'  gates  ; 

Fighting  kings  gave  up  their  crowns  ;  from  the  hills 

The  Chichimecan  fled ;  on  temple  towers 

The  Toltec  fires  to  scattering  ashes 

Died.     Like  a  scourge  upon  the  city,  like 

A  fire  across  the  plain,  like  storms  adown 

The  mountain,  —  such  was  Azatlan  that  day 

It  went  to  battle  !     Like  a  monarch  'mid 

His  people,  like  a  god  amid  the  Heavens, 

O  such  was  Azatlan,  victor  from  the 

Battle,  the  Empire  in  its  hand  ! 

At  this  point  the  excitement  of  the  audience 
rose  into  interruption  :  they  clapped  their  hands 
and  stamped ;  some  shouted.  As  the  strong 
voice  rolled  the  grand  story  on,  even  the  king's 
dread  of  the  god  disappeared ;  and  had  the  'tzin 
concluded  then,  the  prize  had  certainly  been  his. 
But  when  the  silence  was  restored,  he  resumed 
the  attitude  so  proper  to  his  disguise,  and,  sinking 
his  voice  and  changing  the  measure  of  the  chant, 
solemnly  proceeded,  — 

As  the  river  runneth  ever,  like  the  river  ran  the  love  of 
Quetzal'.     The   clime   grew   softer,  and  the   Vale   fairer.     To 

weave,  and  trade, 
And  sow,  and  build,  he  taught,  with  countless  other  ways  of 

peace.     He  broke 

The  seals  of  knowledge,  and  unveiled  the  mystic  paths  of  wisdom ; 
Gathered  gold  from  the  earth,  and  jewels  from  the  streams ;  and 

happy 

Peace,  as  terrible  in  war,  became  Azatlan.     Only  one  more 
Blessing,  —  a  religion  sounding  of  a  quiet  heaven  and  a 
Godly  love,  —  this  only  wanted  Azatlan.     And,  alas,  for  the 
Sunly  Quetzal' !     He  built  a  temple,  with  a  single  tower,  a 
Temple  over  many  chambers." 


THE   CHANT  219 

Slowly  the  'tzin  repeated  the  last  sentence,  and 
under  his  gaze  the  monarch's  face  changed  visibly. 

Worship  he  asked,  and  offerings, 

And  sacrifices,  not  of  captives,  heart-broken  and  complaining, 
But  of  blooming  flowers,  and  ripened  fruits,  emblems  of  love, 

and  peace, 
And  beauty.     Alas,  for   the  gentle  Quetzal' !     Cold  grew  the 

people 
Lov'd  so  well.     A  little  while  they  worshiped  ;  then,  as  bees  go 

no 
More  to  a  withered  flower,  they  forsook  his  shrine,  and  mock'd 

his 
Image.     His  love,  longest   lingering,  went   down   at  last,  but 

slowly 
Went,  as  the  brook,  drop  by  drop,  runs  dry  in  the  drought  of  a 

rainless 
Summer.     Wrath  'rose  instead.     Down  in  a  chamber  below  the 

temple, 
A  chamber  full  of  gold  and   unveiled  splendor,  beneath   the 

Lake  that 
Long  had  ceased  its  laughing,  thither  went  the  god,  and  on  the 

walls, 
On  the  marble  and  the  gold,  he  wrote  — 

The  improvisation,  if  such  it  was,  now  wrought 
its  full  effect  upon  Montezuma,  who  saw  the  reci- 
tal coming  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  dread  mys- 
teries of  the  golden  chamber  in  the  old  Cu.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  last  sentence,  the  blood  left 
his  face,  and  he  leaned  forward  as  if  to  check  the 
speech,  at  the  same  time  some  master  influence 
held  him  wordless.  His  look  was  that  of  one  see- 
ing a  vision.  The  vagaries  of  a  mind  shaken  by 
days  and  nights  of  trouble  are  wonderful ;  some- 
times they  are  fearful.  How  easy  for  his  distem- 
pered fancy  to  change  the  minstrel,  with  his  white 
locks  and  venerable  countenance,  into  a  servant 


220  THE   FAIR   GOD 

of  Quetzal',  sent  by  the  god  to  confirm  the  in- 
terpretation and  prophecies  of  his  other  servant 
Mualox.  At  the  last  word,  he  arose,  and,  with 
an  imperial  gesture,  cried,  — 

"  Peace  —  enough  !  " 

Then  his  utterance  failed  him,  —  another  vision 
seemed  to  fix  his  gaze.  The  audience,  thrilling 
with  fear,  turned  to  see  what  he  saw,  and  heard 
a  commotion,  which,  from  the  further  end  of  the 
hall,  drew  slowly  near  the  throne,  and  ceased  not 
until  Mualox,  in  his  sacrificial  robes,  knelt  upon 
the  step  in  the  minstrel's  place.  Montezuma 
dropped  into  his  throne,  and,  covering  his  eyes 
with  his  hands,  said  faintly,  — 

"  Evil  betides  me,  father,  evil  betides  me  !  But 
I  am  a  king.  Speak  what  you  can  !  " 

Mualox  prostrated  himself  until  his  white  hair 
covered  his  master's  feet. 

"  Again,  O  king,  your  servant  comes  speaking 
for  his  god." 

"  For  the  god,  Mualox  ?  " 

The  hall  became  silent  as  a  tomb. 

"  I  come,"  the  holy  man  continued,  "to  tell  the 
king  that  Quetzal'  has  landed,  this  time  on  the 
seashore  in  Cempoalla.  At  set  of  sun  his  power 
was  collected  on  the  beach.  Summon  all  your 
wisdom,  — the  end  is  at  hand." 

All  present  and  hearing  listened  awe-struck. 
Of  the  warriors,  not  one,  however  battle-tried,  but 
trembled  with  undefined  terror.  And  who  may 
accuse  them  ?  The  weakness  was  from  fear  of  a 
supposed  god  ;  their  heathen  souls,  after  the  man- 


THE   CHANT  221   • 

ner  of  the  Christian,  asked,  Who  may  war  against 
Heaven  ? 

"  Rise,  Mualox  !  You  love  me  ;  I  have  no  bet- 
ter servant,"  said  the  king  with  dignity,  but  so 
sadly  that  even  the  prophet's  heart  was  touched. 
"  It  is  not  for  me  to  say  if  your  news  be  good  or 
evil.  All  things,  even  my  Empire,  are  in  the  care 
of  the  gods.  To-morrow  I  will  hold  a  council  to 
determine  how  this  visit  maybe  best  met."  With 
a  mighty  effort  he  freed  his  spirit  of  the  influence 
of  the  untimely  visitation,  and  said,  with  a  show 
of  unconcern,  "  Leave  the  morrow  to  whom  it  be- 
longs, my  children.  Let  us  now  to  the  ceremony 
which  was  to  crown  the  night.  Come  forward, 
son  of  'Hualpilli!  Room  for  the  lord  Iztlil',  my 
friends ! " 

Tula  looked  down,  and  the  queen  Tecalco 
bowed  her  face  upon  the  shoulder  of  the  queen 
Acatlan ;  and  immediately,  all  differences  lost  in 
loving  loyalty,  the  caciques  and  chiefs  gathered 
before  him,  —  a  nobility  as  true  and  chivalric  as 
ever  fought  beneath  an  infidel  banner. 

And  they  waited,  but  the  Tezcucan  came  not. 

"  Go,  Maxtla.  Seek  the  lord  Iztlil',  and  bring 
him  to  my  presence." 

Through  the  palace  and  through  the  gardens 
they  sought  the  recreant  lover.  And  the  silence 
of  the  waiting  in  the  great  hall  was  painful. 
Guest  looked  in  the  face  of  guest,  mute,  yet  ask- 
ing much.  The  prince  Cacama  whispered  to  the 
prince  Cuitlahua,  "  It  is  a  happy  interference  of 
the  gods ! " 


222  THE   FAIR   GOD 

Tecalco  wept  on,  but  not  from  sorrow,  and  the 
eyes  of  the  devoted  princess  were  lustrous  for  the 
first  time ;  hope  had  come  back  to  the  darkened 
soul. 

And  the  monarch  said  little,  and  ere  long  re- 
tired. A  great  portion  of  the  company,  despite 
his  injunction,  speedily  followed  his  example,  leav- 
ing the  younger  guests,  with  what  humor  they 
could  command,  to  continue  the  revel  till  morning. 

Next  day  at  noon  couriers  from  Cempoalla  con- 
firmed the  announcement  of  Mualox.  Cortes  had 
indeed  landed  ;  and  that  Good  Friday  was  the 
last  of  the  perfect  glory  of  Anahuac. 

Poor  king !  Not  long  now  until  I  may  sing  for 
thee  the  lamentation  of  the  Gothic  Roderick, 
whose  story  is  but  little  less  melancholy  than 
thine. 

"  He  look'd  for  the  brave  captains  that  led  the  hosts  of  Spain, 
But  all  were  fled,  except  the  dead,  —  and  who  could  count  the 

slain  ? 

Where'er  his  eye  could  wander  all  bloody  was  the  plain  ; 
And  while  thus  he  said  the  tears  he  shed  ran  down  his  cheeks 
like  rain. 

"  Last  night  I  was  the  king  of  Spain :  to-day  no  king  am  I. 
Last  night  fair  castles  held  my  train  :  to-night  where  shall   T 

lie? 

Last  night  a  hundred  pages  did  serve  me  on  the  knee, 
To-night  not  one  I  call  my  own,  —  not  one  pertains  to  me."  l 

1  The  fifth  and  sixth  verses  of  the  famous  Spanish  ballad, 
"The  Lamentation  of  Don  Roderic."  The  translation  I  have 
borrowed  from  Lockhart's  Spanish  Ballads.  —  TR. 


BOOK   THREE 


THK    FIRST    COMBAT 

[HE  'tzin's  companion  the  night  of 
the  banquet,  as  the  reader  has 
no  doubt  anticipated,  was  Hual- 
pa,  the  Tihuancan.  To  an  ad- 
venture of  his,  more  luckless  than 
his  friend's,  I  now  turn. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  'tzin  left 
him  at  the  door  of  the  great  hall.  In  a 
strange  scene,  without  a  guide,  it  was  natural  for 
him  to  be  ill  at  ease ;  light-hearted  and  fearless, 
however,  he  strolled  leisurely  about,  at  one  place 
stopping  to  hear  a  minstrel,  at  another  to  observe 
a  dance,  and  all  the  time  half  confused  by  the  maze 
and  splendor  of  all  he  beheld.  In  such  awe  stood 
he  of  the  monarch,  that  he  gave  the  throne  a 
wide  margin,  contented  from  a  distance  to  view 
the  accustomed  interchanges  of  courtesy  between 
the  guests  and  their  master.  Finding,  at  last, 


226  THE   FAIR   GOD 

that  he  could  not  break  through  the  bashfulness 
acquired  in  his  solitary  life  among  the  hills,  and 
imitate  the  ease  and  nonchalance  of  those  born,  as 
it  were,  to  the  lordliness  of  the  hour,  he  left  the 
house,  and  once  more  sought  the  retiracy  of  the 
gardens.  Out  of  doors,  beneath  the  stars,  with 
the  fresh  air  in  his  nostrils,  he  felt  at  home  again, 
the  whilom  hunter,  ready  for  any  emprise. 

As  to  the  walk  he  should  follow  he  had  no 
choice,  for  in  every  direction  he  heard  laughter, 
music,  and  conversation  ;  everywhere  were  flowers 
and  the  glow  of  lamps.  Merest  chance  put  him 
in  a  path  that  led  to  the  neighborhood  of  the 
museum. 

Since  the  night  shut  in,  —  be  it  said  in  a  whis- 
per, —  a  memory  of  wonderful  brightness  had 
taken  possession  of  his  mind.  Nenetzin's  face  as 
he  saw  it  laughing  in  the  door  of  the  kiosk  when 
Yeteve  called  the  'tzin  for  a  song,  he  thought 
outshone  the  lamplight,  the  flowers,  and  every- 
thing most  beautiful  about  his  path  ;  her  eyes  were 
as  stars,  rivaling  the  insensate  ones  in  the  mead 
above  him.  He  remembered  them,  too,  as  all  the 
brighter  for  the  tears  through  which  they  had 
looked  down,  —  alas  !  not  on  him,  but  upon  his 
reverend  comrade.  If  Hualpa  was  not  in  love,  he 
was,  at  least,  borrowing  wings  for  a  flight  of  that 
kind. 

Indulging  the  delicious  revery,  he  came  upon 
some  nobles,  conversing,  and  quite  blocking  up 
the  way,  though  going  in  his  direction.  He  hesi- 
tated ;  but,  considering  that,  as  a  guest,  the 


THE   FIRST   COMBAT  227 

freedom  of  the  garden  belonged  equally  to  him, 
he  proceeded,  and  became  a  listener. 

"  People  call  him  a  warrior.  They  know  no- 
thing of  what  makes  a  warrior  ;  they  mistake  good 
fortune,  or  what  the  traders  in  the  tianguez  call 
luck,  for  skill.  Take  his  conduct  at  the  combat  of 
Quetzal'  as  an  example ;  say  he  threw  his  arrows 
well :  yet  it  was  a  cowardly  war.  How  much 
braver  to  grasp  the  maquahuitl,  and  rush  to  blows  ! 
That  requires  manhood,  strength,  skill.  To  stand 
back,  and  kill  with  a  chance  arrow,  —  a  woman 
could  do  as  much." 

The  'tzin  was  the  subject  of  discussion,  and  the 
voice  that  of  Iztlil',  the  Tezcucan.  Hualpa  moved 
closer  to  the  party. 

"  I  thought  his  course  in  that  combat  good," 
said  a  stranger ;  "  it  gave  him  opportunities  not 
otherwise  to  be  had.  That  he  did  not  join  the 
assault  cannot  be  urged  against  his  courage.  Had 
you,  my  lord  Iztlil',  fallen  like  the  Otompan,  he 
would  have  been  left  alone  to  fight  the  challengers. 
A  fool  would  have  seen  the  risk ;  a  coward  would 
not  have  courted  it." 

"That  argument,"  replied  Iztlil',  "is  crediting 
him  with  too  much  shrewdness.  By  the  gods,  he 
never  doubted  the  result,  —  not  he!  He  knew 
the  Tlascalans  would  never  pass  my  shield;  he 
knew  the  victory  was  mine,  two  against  me  as 
there  were.  A  prince  of  Tezcuco  was  never  con- 
quered! " 

The  spirit  of  the  hunter  was  fast  rising ;  yet  he 
followed,  listening. 


228  THE    FAIR   GOD 

"And,  my  friends,"  the  Tezcucan  continued, 
"  who  better  judged  the  conduct  of  the  combatants 
that  day  than  the  king  ?  See  the  result.  To-night 
I  take  from  the  faint  heart  his  bride,  the  woman 
he  has  loved  from  boyhood.  Then  this  banquet. 
In  whose  honor  is  it  ?  What  does  it  celebrate  ? 
There  is  a  prize  to  be  awarded,  —  the  prize  of 
courage  and  skill ;  and  who  gets  it  ?  And  further, 
of  the  nobles  and  chiefs  of  the  valley,  but  one  is 
absent,  —  he  whose  prudence  exceeds  his  valor." 

In  such  strain  the  Tezcucan  proceeded.  And 
Hualpa,  fully  aroused,  pushed  through  the  com- 
pany to  the  speaker,  but  so  quietly  that  those  who 
observed  him  asked  no  questions.  Assured  that 
the  'tzin  must  have  friends  present,  he  waited  for 
some  one  to  take  up  his  cause.  His  own  impulse 
was  restrained  by  his  great  dread  of  the  king, 
whose  gardens  he  knew  were  not  fighting-grounds 
at  any  time  or  in  any  quarrel.  But,  as  the  boast- 
ful prince  continued,  the  resolve  to  punish  him 
took  definite  form  with  the  Tihuancan,  — to  such 
degree  had  his  admiration  for  the  'tzin  already 
risen !  Gradually  the  auditors  dropped  behind  or 
disappeared ;  finally  but  one  remained,  —  a  middle- 
aged,  portly  noble,  whose  demeanor  was  not  of 
the  kind  to  shake  the  resolution  taken. 

Hualpa  made  his  first  advance  close  by  the 
eastern  gate  of  the  garden,  to  which  point  he  held 
himself  in  check  lest  the  want  of  arms  should 
prove  an  apology  for  refusing  the  fight. 

"  Will  the  lord  Iztlil'  stop  ?  "  he  said,  laying  his 
hand  on  the  Tezcucan's  arm. 


THE    FIRST   COMBAT  229 

"  I  do  not  know  you,"  was  the  answer. 

The  sleek  courtier  also  stopped,  and  stared 
broadly. 

"  You  do  not  know  me !  I  will  mend  my  for- 
tune in  that  respect,"  returned  the  hunter,  mildly. 
"  I  have  heard  what  you  said  so  ungraciously  of 
my  friend  and  comrade,"  —  the  last  word  he  em- 
phasized strongly,  —  "  Guatamozin."  Then  he 
repeated  the  offensive  words  as  correctly  as  if  he 
had  been  a  practised  herald,  and  concluded,  "Now, 
you  know  the  'tzin  cannot  be  here  to-night ;  you 
also  know  the  reason  ;  but,  for  him  and  in  his 
place,  I  say,  prince  though  you  are,  you  have 
basely  slandered  an  absent  enemy." 

"  Who  are  you  ? "  asked  the  Tezcucan,  sur- 
prised. 

"The  comrade  of  Guatamozin,  here  to  take  up 
his  quarrel." 

"You  challenge  me?"  said  Iztlil',  in  disdain. 

"Does  a  prince  of  Tezcuco,  son  of  'Hualpilli, 
require  a  blow  ?  Take  it  then." 

The  blow  was  given. 

"See!  Do  I  not  bring  you  princely  blood ?" 
And,  in  his  turn,  Hualpa  laughed  scornfully. 

The  Tezcucan  was  almost  choked  with  rage. 
"  This  to  me,  —  to  me,  —  a  prince  and  warrior  !  " 
he  cried. 

A  danger  not  considered  by  the  rash  hunter 
now  offered  itself.  An  outcry  would  bring  down 
the  guard;  and,  in  the  event  of  his  arrest,  the 
united  representations  of  Iztlil'  and  his  friend 
would  be  sufficient  to  have  him  sent  forthwith 


230  THE  FAIR  GOD 

to  the  tigers.     The   pride  of   the   prince  saved 
him. 

"  Have  a  care,  —  't  is  an  assassin  !  I  will  call 
the  guard  at  the  gate  !  "  said  the  courtier,  alarmed. 

"  Call  them  not,  call  them  not !  I  am  equal  to 
my  own  revenge.  Oh,  for  a  spear  or  knife,  — 
anything  to  kill !  " 

"Will  you  hear  me,  —  a  word?"  the  hunter 
said.  "  I  am  without  arms  also  ;  but  they  can  be 
had." 

"  The  arms,  the  arms  !  "  cried  Iztlil'  passionately. 

"  We  can  make  the  sentinels  at  the  gate  clever 
by  a  few  quills  of  gold ;  and  here  are  enough  to 
satisfy  them."  Hualpa  produced  a  handful  of  the 
money.  "  Let  us  try  them.  Outside  the  gate 
the  street  is  clear." 

The  courtier  protested,  but  the  prince  was  de- 
termined. 

"  The  arms  !  Pledge  my  province  and  palaces, 
—  everything  for  a  maquahuitl  now." 

They  went  to  the  gate  and  obtained  the  use  of 
two  of  the  weapons  and  as  many  shields.  Then 
the  party  passed  into  the  street,  which  they  found 
deserted.  To  avoid  the  great  thoroughfare  to 
Iztapalapan,  they  turned  to  the  north,  and  kept 
on  as  far  as  the  corner  of  the  garden  wall. 

"Stay  we  here,"  said  the  courtier.  "Short 
time  is  all  you  want,  lord  Iztlil'.  The  feathers  on 
the  hawk's  wings  are  not  full-fledged." 

The  man  spoke  confidently ;  and  it  must  be 
confessed  that  the  Tezcucan's  reputation  and  ex- 
perience justified  the  assurance.  One  advantage 


THE    FIRST   COMBAT  231 

the  hunter  had  which  his  enemies  both  overlooked, 
—  a  surpassing  composure.  -From  a  temple  near 
by,  a  red  light  flared  broadly  over  the  place,  re- 
deeming it  from  what  would  otherwise  have  been 
vague  starlight ;  by  its  aid  they  might  have  seen 
his  countenance  without  a  trace  of  excitement  or 
passion.  One  wish,  and  but  one,  he  had,  —  that 
Guatamozin  could  witness  the  trial. 

The  impatience  of  the  Tezcucan  permitted  but 
few  preliminaries. 

"The  gods  of  Mictlan  require  no  prayers. 
Stand  out !  "  he  said. 

"  Strike  !  "  answered  Hualpa. 

Up  rose  the  glassy  blades  of  the  Tezcucan, 
flashing  in  the  light ;  quick  and  strong  the  blow, 
yet  it  clove  but  the  empty  air.  "  For  the  'tzin  !  " 
shouted  the  hunter,  striking  back  before  the  other 
was  half  recovered.  The  shield  was  dashed  aside  ; 
a  groan  acknowledged  a  wound  in  the  breast,  and 
Iztlil'  staggered  ;  another  blow  stretched  him  on 
the  pavement.  A  stream  of  blood,  black  in  the 
night,  stole  slowly  out  over  the  flags.  The  fight 
was  over.  The  victor  dropped  the  bladed  end  of 
his  weapon,  and  surveyed  his  foe  with  astonish- 
ment, then  pity. 

"Your  friend  is  hurt;  help  him!"  he  said, 
turning  to  the  courtier ;  but  he  was  alone,  —  the 
craven  had  run.  For  one  fresh  from  the  hills, 
this  was  indeed  a  dilemma  !  A  duel  and  a  death 
in  sight  of  the  royal  palace!  A  chill  tingled 
through  his  veins.  He  thought  rapidly  of  the 
alarm,  the  arrest,  the  king's  wrath,  and  himself 


232  THE   FAIR   GOD 

given  to  glut  the  monsters  in  the  menagerie.  Up 
rose,  also,  the  many  fastnesses  amid  the  cedared 
glades  of  Tihuanco.  Could  he  but  reach  them ! 
The  slaves  of  Montezuma,  to  please  a  whim, 
might  pursue  and  capture  a  quail  or  an  eagle ;  but 
there  he  could  laugh  at  pursuit,  while  in  Tenoch- 
titlan  he  was  nowhere  safe. 

Sight  of  the  flowing  blood  brought  him  out  of 
the  panic.  He  raised  the  Tezcucan's  arm,  and 
tore  the  rich  vestments  from  his  breast.  The 
wound  was  a  glancing  one ;  it  might  not  be  fatal 
after  all ;  to  save  him  were  worth  the  trial.  Taking 
off  his  own  maxtlatl,  he  wound  it  tightly  round 
the  body  and  over  the  cut.  Across  the  street 
there  was  a  small,  open  house ;  lifting  the  wounded 
man  gently  as  possible,  he  carried  him  thither, 
and  laid  him  in  a  darkened  passage.  Where  else 
to  convey  him  he  knew  not ;  that  was  all  he 
could  do.  Now  for  flight,  —  for  Tihuanco.  Tire- 
less and  swift  of  foot  shall  they  be  who  catch  him 
on  the  way ! 

He  started  for  the  lake,  intending  to  cross  in  a 
canoe  rather  than  by  the  causeway;  already  a 
square  was  put  behind,  when  it  occurred  to  him 
that  the  Tezcucan  might  have  slaves  and  a  palaiv 
quin  waiting  before  the  palace  door.  He  began, 
also,  to  reproach  himself  for  the  baseness  of  the 
desertion.  How  would  the  'tzin  have  acted  ? 
When  the  same  Tezcucan  lay  with  the  dead  in 
the  arena,  who  nursed  him  back  to  life  ? 

If  Hualpa  had  wished  his  patron's  presence  at 
the  beginning  of  the  combat,  now,  flying  from  im- 


THE   FIRST   COMBAT  233 

aginary  dangers,  —  flying,  like  a  startled  coward, 
from  his  very  victory,  —  much  did  he  thank  the 
gods  that  he  was  alone  and  unseen.  In  a  kind  of 
alcove,  or  resting-place  for  weary  walkers,  with 
which,  by  the  way,  the  thoroughfares  of  Tenoch- 
titlan  were  well  provided,  he  sat  down,  recalled  his 
wonted  courage,  and  determined  on  a  course  more 
manly,  whatever  the  risk. 

Then  he  retraced  his  steps,  and  went  boldly  to 
the  portal  of  the  palace,  where  he  found  the  Tez- 
cucan's  palanquin.  The  slaves  in  charge  followed 
him  without  objection. 

"Take  your  master  to  his  own  palace.  Be 
quick ! "  he  said  to  them,  when  the  wounded  man 
was  transferred  to  the  carriage. 

"It  is  in  Tecuba,"  said  one  of  them. 

"ToTecubathen." 

He  did  more;  he  accompanied  the  slaves. 
Along  the  street,  across  the  causeway,  which 
never  seemed  of  such  weary  length,  they  proceeded. 
On  the  road  the  Tezcucan  revived.  He  said  little, 
and  was  passive  in  his  enemy's  hands.  From  Te- 
cuba the  latter  hastened  back  to  Tenochtitlan, 
and  reached  the  portico  of  Xoli,  the  Chalcan,  just 
as  day  broke  over  the  valley. 

And  such  was  the  hunter's  first  emprise  as  a 
warrior. 


II 


THE   SECOND   COMBAT 

T  is  hardly  worth  while  to  detail  the 
debate  between  Hualpa  and  Xoli; 
enough  to  know  that  the  latter,  an- 
ticipating pursuit,  hid  the  son  of  his 
friend  in  a  closet  attached  to  his  res- 
taurant. 

That  day,  and  many  others,  the  police  went  up 
and  down,  ferreting  for  the  assassin  of  the  noble 
IzthT.  Few  premises  escaped  their  search.  The 
Chalcan's,  amongst  others,  was  examined,  but 
without  discovery.  Thus  safely  concealed,  the 
hunter  throve  on  the  cuisine,  and  for  the  loss  of 


THE    SECOND    COMBAT  235 

liberty  was  consoled  by  the  gossip  and  wordy 
wisdom  of  his  accessory,  and,  by  what  was  better, 
the  gratitude  of  Guatamozin.  In  such  manner 
two  weeks  passed  away,  the  longest  and  most 
wearisome  of  his  existence.  How  sick  at  heart 
he  grew  in  his  luxurious  imprisonment ;  how  he 
pined  for  the  old  hills  and  woodlands ;  how  he 
longed  once  more  to  go  down  the  shaded  vales 
free-footed  and  fearless,  stalking  deer  or  follow- 
ing his  ocelot.  Ah,  what  is  ambition  gratified  to 
freedom  lost ! 

Unused  to  the  confinement,  it  became  irksome 
to  him,  and  at  length  intolerable.  "  When,"  he 
asked  himself,  "is  this  to  end?  Will  the  king 
ever  withdraw  his  huntsmen  ?  Through  whom 
am  I  to  look  or  hope  for  pardon  ? "  He  sighed, 
paced  the  narrow  closet,  and  determined  that 
night  to  walk  out  and  see  if  his  old  friends  the 
stars  were  still  in  their  places,  and  take  a  draught 
of  the  fresh  air,  to  his  remembrance  sweeter  than 
the  new  beverage  of  the  Chalcan.  And  when 
the  night  came  he  was  true  to  his  resolution. 

Pass  we  his  impatience  while  waiting  an  oppor- 
tunity to  leave  the  house  unobserved;  his  at- 
tempts unsuccessfully  repeated  ;  his  vexation  at 
the  "noble  patrons"  who  lounged  in  the  apart- 
ments and  talked  so  long  over  their  goblets.  At 
a  late  hour  he  made  good  his  exit.  In  the  tian- 
guez,  which  was  the  first  to  receive  him,  booths 
and  porticoes  were  closed  for  the  night  ;  lights 
were  everywhere  extinguished,  except  on  the 
towers  of  the  temples.  As  morning  would  end 


236  THE    FAIR  GOD 

his  furlough  and  drive  him  back  to  the  hated 
captivity,  he  resolved  to  make  the  most  of  the 
night ;  he  would  visit  the  lake,  he  would  stroll 
through  the  streets.  By  the  gods  !  he  would 
play  freeman  to  the  full. 

In  his  situation,  all  places  were  alike  perilous, 
—  houses,  streets,  temples,  and  palaces.  As  for 
that  reason  one  direction  was  good  as  another, 
he  started  up  the  Iztapalapan  street  'from  the 
tianguez.  Passengers  met  him  now  and  then; 
otherwise  the  great  thoroughfare  was  unusually 
quiet.  Sauntering  along  in  excellent  imitation  of 
careless  enjoyment,  he  strove  to  feel  cheerful ; 
but,  in  spite  of  his  efforts,  he  became  lonesome, 
while  his  dread  of  the  patrols  kept  him  uneasy. 
Such  freedom,  he  ascertained,  was  not  all  his 
fancy  colored  it ;  yet  it  was  not  so  bad  as  his 
prison.  On  he  went.  Sometimes  on  a  step,  or 
in  the  shade  of  a  portico,  he  would  sit  and  gaze 
at  the  houses  as  if  they  were  old  friends  basking 
in  the  moonlight ;  at  the  bridges  he  would  also 
stop,  and,  leaning  over  the  balustrades,  watch  the 
waveless  water  in  the  canal  below,  and  envy  the 
watermen  asleep  in  their  open  canoes.  The  result 
was  a  feeling  of  recklessness,  sharpened  by  a  yearn- 
ing for  something  to  do,  some  place  to  visit,  some 
person  to  see ;  in  short,  a  thousand  wishes,  so 
vague,  however,  that  they  amounted  to  nothing. 

In  this  mood  he  thought  of  Nenetzin,  who,  in 
the  tedium  of  his  imprisonment,  had  become  to 
him  a  constant  dream,  —  a  vision  by  which  his 
fancy  was  amused  and  his  impatience  soothed ; 


THE   SECOND   COMBAT  237 

a  vision  that  faded  not  with  the  morning,  but  at 
noon  was  sweet  as  at  night.  With  the  thought 
came  another,  —  the  idea  of  an  adventure  ex- 
cusable only  in  a  lover. 

"The  garden  ! "  he  said,  stopping  and  thinking. 
"  The  garden  !  It  is  the  king's  ;  so  is  the  street. 
It  is  guarded  ;  so  is  the  city.  I  will  be  in  danger  ; 
but  that  is  around  me  everywhere.  By  the  gods ! 
I  will  go  to  the  garden,  and  look  at  the  house  in 
which  she  sleeps." 

Invade  the  gardens  of  the  great  king  at  mid- 
night!  The  project  would  have  terrified  the 
Chalcan  ;  the  'tzin  would  have  forbade  it ;  at  any 
other  time,  the  adventurer  himself  would  rather 
have  gone  unarmed  into  the  den  of  a  tiger.  The 
gardens  were  chosen  places  sacred  to  royalty ; 
otherwise  they  would  have  been  without  walls 
and  without  sentinels  at  the  gates.  In  the  event 
of  detection  and  arrest,  the  intrusion  at  such  a 
time  would  be  without  excuse ;  death  was  the 
penalty. 

But  the  venture  was  agreeable  to  the  mood  he 
was  in ;  he  welcomed  it  as  a  relief  from  loneli- 
ness, as  a  rescue  from  his  tormenting  void  of  pur- 
pose ;  if  he  saw  the  dangers,  they  were  viewed 
in  the  charm  of  his  gentle  passion,  —  griffins  and 
goblins  masked  by  Love,  the  enchanter.  He 
started  at  once ;  and  now  that  he  had  an  object 
before  him,  there  was  no  more  loitering  under 
porticoes  or  on  the  bridges.  As  the  squares 
were  put  behind  him,  he  repeated  over  and  over, 
as  a  magical  exorcism,  "  I  will  look  at  the  house 


238  THE   FAIR   GOD 

in  which  she  sleeps,  —  the  house  in  which  she 
sleeps." 

Once  in  his  progress,  he  turned  aside  from  the 
great  street,  and  went  up  a  footway  bordering  a 
canal.  At  the  next  street,  however,  he  crossed  a 
bridge,  and  proceeded  to  the  north  again.  Al- 
most before  he  was  aware  of  it,  he  reached  the 
corner  of  the  royal  garden,  always  to  be  remem- 
bered by  him  as  the  place  of  his  combat  with  the 
Tezcucan.  But  so  intent  was  he  upon  his  present 
project  he  scarcely  gave  it  a  second  look. 

The  wall  was  but  little  higher  than  his  head, 
and  covered  with  snowy  stucco ;  and  where,  over 
the  coping,  motionless  in  the  moonshine,  a  palm- 
tree  lifted  its  graceful  head,  he  boldly  climbed, 
and  entered  the  sacred  enclosure.  Drawing  his 
mantle  close  about  him,  he  stole  toward  the  pal- 
ace, selecting  the  narrow  walks  most  protected 
by  overhanging  shrubbery. 

A  man's  instinct  is  a  good  counselor  in  danger ; 
often  it  is  the  only  counselor.  Gliding  through 
the  shadows,  cautiously  as  if  hunting,  he  seemed 
to  hear  a  recurrent  whisper,  — 

"  Have  a  care,  O  hunter !  This  is  not  one  of 
thy  familiar  places.  The  gardens  of  the  great 
king  have  other  guardians  than  the  stars.  Death 
awaits  thee  at  every  gate." 

But  as  often  came  the  reply,  "  Nenetzin,  —  I 
will  see  the  house  in  which  she  sleeps." 

He  held  on  toward  the  palace,  never  stopping 
until  the  top,  here  and  there  crowned  with  low 
turrets,  rose  above  the  highest  trees.  Then  he 


THE   SECOND   COMBAT  239 

listened  intently,  but  heard  not  a  sound  of  life 
from  the  princely  pile.  He  sought  next  a  retreat, 
where,  secure  from  observation,  he  might  sit  in 
the  pleasant  air,  and  give  wings  to  his  lover's 
fancy.  At  last  he  found  one,  a  little  retired  from 
the  central  walk,  and  not  far  from  a  tank,  which 
had  once  been,  if  it  were  not  now,  the  basin  of  a 
fountain.  Upon  a  bench,  well  shaded  by  a  clump 
of  flowering  bushes,  he  stretched  himself  at  ease, 
and  was  soon  absorbed. 

The  course  of  his  thought,  in  keeping  with  his 
youth,  was  to  the  future.  Most  of  the  time,  how- 
ever, he  had  no  distinct  idea ;  revery,  like  an 
evening  mist,  settled  upon  him.  Sometimes  he 
lay  with  closed  eyes,  shutting  himself  in,  as  it 
were,  from  the  world ;  then  he  stared  vacantly  at 
the  stars,  or  into  those  blue  places  in  the  mighty 
vault  too  deep  for  stars ;  but  most  he  loved  to 
look  at  the  white  walls  of  the  palace.  And  for 
the  time  he  was  happy ;  his  soul  may  be  said  to 
have  been  singing  a  silent  song  to  the  uncon- 
scious Nenetzin. 

Once  or  twice  he  was  disturbed  by  a  noise,  like 
the  suppressed  cry  of  a  child ;  but  he  attributed 
it  to  some  of  the  restless  animals  in  the  museum 
at  the  farther  side  of  the  garden.  Half  the  night 
was  gone ;  so  the  watchers  on  the  temples  pro- 
claimed ;  and  still  he  stayed,  —  still  dreamed. 

About  that  time,  however,  he  was  startled  by 
footsteps  coming  apparently  from  the  palace.  He 
sat  up,  ready  for  action.  The  appearance  of  a 
man  alone  and  unarmed  allayed  his  apprehension 


240  THE    FAIR   GOD 

for  the  moment.  Up  the  walk,  directly  by  the 
hiding-place,  the  stranger  came.  As  he  passed 
slowly  on,  the  intruder  thrilled  at  beholding,  not 
a  guard  or  an  officer,  but  Montezuma  in  person  ! 
As  far  as  the  tank  the  monarch  walked ;  there 
he  stopped,  put  his  hands  behind  him,  and  looked 
moodily  down  into  the  pool. 

Garden,  palace,  Nenetzin,  —  everything  but  the 
motionless  figure  by  the  tank  faded  from  Hualpa's 
mind.  Fear  came  upon  him ;  and  no  wonder : 
there,  almost  within  reach,  at  midnight,  unat- 
tended, stood  what  was  to  him  the  positive  reali- 
zation of  power,  ruler  of  the  Empire,  dispenser  of 
richest  gifts,  keeper  of  life  and  death!  Guilty, 
and  tremulously  apprehensive  that  he  had  been 
discovered,  Hualpa  looked  each  instant  to  be 
dragged  from  his  hiding. 

The  space  around  the  tank  was  clear,  and 
strewn  with  shells  perfectly  white  in  the  moon- 
light. While  the  adventurer  sat  fixed  to  his  seat, 
watching  the  king,  watching,  also,  a  chance  of 
escape,  he  saw  something  come  from  the  shrub- 
bery, move  stealthily  out  into  the  walk,  then 
crouch  down.  Now,  as  I  have  shown,  he  was 
brave;  but  this  tested  all  his  courage.  Out  fur- 
ther crept  the  object,  moving  with  the  stillness  of 
a  spirit.  Scarcely  could  he  persuade  himself  at 
first  that  it  was  not  an  illusion  begotten  of  his 
fears  ;  but  its  form  and  movements,  the  very  still- 
ness of  its  advance,  at  last  identified  it.  In  all  his 
hunter's  experience,  he  had  never  seen  an  ocelot 
so  large.  The  screams  he  had  heard  were  now 


THE    SECOND   COMBAT  241 

explained, — the  monster  had  escaped  from  the 
menagerie ! 

I  cannot  say  the  recognition  wrought  a  sub- 
sidence of  Hualpa's  fears.  He  felt  instinctively 
for  his  arms,  —  he  had  nothing  but  a  knife  of 
brittle  itzli.  Then  he  thought  of  the  stories  he 
had  heard  of  the  ferocity  of  the  royal  tigers,  and 
of  unhappy  wretches  flung,  by  way  of  punish- 
ment, into  their  dens.  He  shuddered,  and  turned 
to  the  king,  who  still  gazed  thoughtfully  over  the 
wall  of  the  tank. 

Holy  Huitzil' !  the  ocelot  was  creeping  upon 
the  monarch !  The  flash  of  understanding  that 
revealed  the  fact  to  Hualpa  was  like  the  lightning. 
Breathlessly  he  noticed  the  course  the  brute  was 
taking  ;  there  could  be  no  doubt.  Another  flash, 
and  he  understood  the  monarch's  peril,  —  alone, 
unarmed,  before  the  guards  at  the  gates  or  in  the 
palace  could  come,  the  struggle  would  be  over ; 
child  of  the  Sun  though  he  was,  there  remained 
for  him  but  one  hope  of  rescue. 

As,  in  common  with  provincials  generally,  he 
cherished  a  reverence  for  the  monarch  hardly 
secondary  to  that  he  felt  for  the  gods,  the  Ti- 
huancan  was  inexpressibly  shocked  to  see  him  sub- 
ject to  such  a  danger.  An  impulse  aside  from 
native  chivalry  urged  him  to  confront  the  ocelot ; 
but  under  the  circumstances,  —  and  he  recounted 
them  rapidly,  —  he  feared  the  king  more  than  the 
brute.  Brief  time  was  there  for  consideration; 
each  moment  the  peril  increased.  He  thought  of 
the  'tzin,  then  of  Nenetzin. 


242  THE    FAIR   GOD 

"  Now  or  never !  "  he  said.  "  If  the  gods  do 
but  help  me,  I  will  prove  myself !  " 

And  he  unlooped  the  mantle,  and  wound  it 
about  his  left  arm ;  the  knife,  poor  as  it  was,  he 
took  from  his  maxtlatl ;  then  he  was  ready.  Ah, 
if  he  only  had  a  javelin  ! 

To  place  himself  between  the  king  and  his 
enemy  was  what  he  next  set  about.  Experience 
had  taught  him  how  much  such  animals  are  gov- 
erned by  curiosity,  and  upon  that  he  proceeded  to 
act.  On  his  hands  and  knees  he  crept  out  into 
the  walk.  The  moment  he  became  exposed,  the 
ocelot  stopped,  raised  its  round  head,  and  watched 
him  with  a  gaze  as  intent  as  his  own.  The  ad- 
vance was  slow  and  stealthy ;  when  the  point  was 
almost  gained,  the  king  turned  about. 

"  Speak  not,  stir  not,  O  king !  "  he  cried,  with- 
out stopping.  "  I  will  save  you,  —  no  other  can." 

From  creeping  man  the  monarch  looked  to 
crouching  beast,  and  comprehended  the  situation. 

Forward  went  Hualpa,  now  the  chief  object  of 
attraction  to  the  monster.  At  last  he  was  directly 
in  front  of  it. 

"  Call  the  guard  and  fly  !     It  is  coming  now ! " 

And  through  the  garden  rang  the  call.  Verily, 
the  hunter  had  become  the  king  ! 

A  moment  after  the  ocelot  lowered  its  head, 
and  leaped.  The  Tihuancan  had  barely  time  to 
put  himself  in  posture  to  receive  the  attack,  his 
left  arm  serving  as  shield ;  upon  his  knee,  he 
struck  with  the  knife.  The  blood  flew,  and  there 
was  a  howl  so  loud  that  the  shouts  of  the  monarch 


THE   SECOND    COMBAT  243 

were  drowned.  The  mantle  was  rent  to  ribbons  ; 
and  through  the  feathers,  cloth,  and  flesh,  the  long 
fangs  craunched  to  the  bone,  —  but  not  without 
return.  This  time  the  knife,  better  directed,  was 
driven  to  the  heart,  where  it  snapped  short  off, 
and  remained.  The  clenched  jaws  relaxed.  Rush- 
ing suddenly  in,  Hualpa  contrived  to  push  the 
fainting  brute  into  the  tank.  He  saw  it  sink,  saw 
the  pool  subside  to  its  calm,  then  turned  to  Monte- 
zuma,  who,  though  calling  lustily  for  the  guard, 
had  stayed  to  the  end.  Kneeling  upon  the  stained 
shells,  he  laid  the  broken  knife  at  the  monarch's 
feet,  and  waited  for  him  to  speak. 

"  Arise  !  "  the  king  said  kindly. 

The  hunter  stood  up,  splashed  with  blood,  the 
fragments  of  his  tilmatli  clinging  in  shreds  to  his 
arm,  his  tunic  torn,  the  hair  fallen  over  his  face, 
—  a  most  uncourtierlike  figure. 

"You  are  hurt,"  said  the  king  directly.  "I 
was  once  thought  skillful  with  medicines.  Let 
me  see." 

He  found  the  wounds,  and  untying  his  own 
sash,  rich  with  embroidery,  wrapped  it  in  many 
folds  around  the  bleeding  arm. 

Meantime  there  was  commotion  in  many  quar- 
ters. 

"  Evil  take  the  careless  watchers ! "  he  said 
sternly,  noticing  the  rising  clamor.  "Had  I 
trusted  them,  —  but  are  you  not  of  the  guard  ? " 

"I  am  the  great  king's  slave,  —  his  poorest 
slave,  but  not  of  his  guard." 

Montezuma  regarded  him  attentively. 


244  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"  It  cannot  be ;  an  assassin  would  not  have 
interfered  with  the  ocelot.  Take  up  the  knife, 
and  follow  me." 

Hualpa  obeyed.  On  the  way  they  met  a  num- 
ber of  the  guard  running  in  great  perplexity ;  but 
without  a  word  to  them,  the  monarch  walked  on, 
and  into  the  palace.  In  a  room  where  there  were 
tables  and  seats,  books  and  writing  materials,  maps 
on  the  walls  and  piles  of  them  on  the  floor,  he 
stopped,  and  seated  himself. 

"You  know  what  truth  is,  and  how  the  gods 
punish  falsehood,"  he  began  ;  then,  abruptly, 
"  How  came  you  in  the  garden  ? " 

Hualpa  fell  on  his  knees,  laid  his  palm  on  the 
floor,  and  answered  without  looking  up,  for  such 
he  knew  to  be  a  courtly  custom. 

"  Who  may  deceive  the  wise  king  Montezuma  ? 
I  will  answer  as  to  the  gods  :  the  gardens  are 
famous  in  song  and  story,  and  I  was  tempted  to 
see  them,  and  climbed  the  wall.  When  you  came 
to  the  fountain,  I  was  close  by ;  and  while  wait- 
ing a  chance  to  escape,  I  saw  the  ocelot  creeping 
upon  you  ;  and  —  and  —  the  great  king  is  too 
generous  to  deny  his  slave  the  pardon  he  risked 
his  life  for." 

"Who  are  you  ?" 

"I  am  from  the  province  of  Tihuanco.  My 
name  is  Hualpa." 

"Hualpa,  Hualpa,"  repeated  the  king  slowly. 
"  You  serve  Guatamozin." 

"  He  is  my  friend  and  master,  O  king." 

Montezuma  started.     "  Holy  gods,  what  mad- 


THE    SECOND   COMBAT  245 

ness  !  My  people  have  sought  you  far  and  wide 
to  feed  you  to  the  tiger  in  the  tank." 

Hualpa  faltered  not. 

"  O  king,  I  know  I  am  charged  with  the  mur- 
der of  Iztlil',  the  Tezcucan.  Will  it  please  you 
to  hear  my  story  ?  " 

And  taking  the  assent,  he  gave  the  particulars 
of  the  combat,  not  omitting  the  cause.  "  I  did 
not  murder  him,"  he  concluded.  "If  he  is  dead, 
I  slew  him  in  fair  fight,  shield  to  shield,  as  a 
warrior  may,  with  honor,  slay  a  foeman." 

"  And  you  carried  him  to  Tecuba  ?  " 

"Before  the  judges,  if  you  choose,  I  will  make 
the  account  good." 

"Be  it  so!"  the  monarch  said  emphatically. 
"  Two  days  hence,  in  the  court,  I  will  accuse  you. 
Have  there  your  witnesses  :  it  is  a  matter  of  life 
and  death.  Now,  what  of  your  master,  the  'tzin  ? " 

The  question  was  dangerous,  and  Hualpa 
trembled,  but  resolved  to  be  bold. 

"If  it  be  not  too  presumptuous,  most  mighty 
king,  — if  a  slave  may  seem  to  judge  his  master's 
judgment  by  the  offer  of  a  word  "  — 

"  Speak  !     I  give  you  liberty." 

"I  wish  to  say,"  continued  Hualpa,  "that  in 
the  court  there  are  many  noble  courtiers  who 
would  die  for  you,  O  king;  but,  of  them  all, 
there  is  not  one  who  so  loves  you,  or  whose  love 
could  be  made  so  profitable,  being  backed  by 
skill,  courage,  and  wisdom,  as  the  generous  prince 
whom  you  call  my  master.  In  his  banishment  he 
has  chosen  to  serve  you  ;  for  the  night  the  stran- 


246  THE   FAIR   GOD 

gers  landed  in  Cempoalla,  he  left  his  palace  in 
Iztapalapan,  and  entered  their  camp  in  the  train 
of  the  governor  of  Cotastlan.  Yesterday  a  cou- 
rier, whom  you  rewarded  richly  for  his  speed  in 
coming,  brought  you  portraits  of  the  strangers, 
and  pictures  of  their  arms  and  camp ;  that  courier 
was  Guatamozin,  and  his  was  the  hand  that 
wrought  the  artist's  work.  Oh,  much  as  your 
faculties  become  a  king,  you  have  been  deceived ; 
he  is  not  a  traitor." 

"  Who  told  you  such  a  fine  minstrel's  tale  ?  " 

"The  gods  judge  me,  O  king,  if,  without  your 
leave,  I  had  so  much  as  dared  kiss  the  dust  at 
your  feet.  What  you  have  graciously  permitted 
me  to  tell  I  heard  from  the  'tzin  himself." 

Montezuma  sat  a  long  time  silent,  then  asked, 
"  Did  your  master  speak  of  the  strangers,  or  of 
the  things  he  saw?  " 

"  The  noble  'tzin  regards  me  kindly,  and  there- 
fore spoke  with  freedom.  He  said,  mourning 
much  that  he  could  not  be  at  your  last  council  to 
declare  his  opinion,  that  you  were  mistaken." 

The  speaker's  face  was  cast  down,  so  that  he 
could  not  see  the  frown  with  which  the  plain 
words  were  received,  and  he  continued,  — 

"'They  are  not  feules,'1  so  the  'tzin  said,  'but 
men,  as  you  and  I  are ;  they  eat,  sleep,  drink,  like 
us  ;  nor  is  that  all,  — they  die  like  us  ;  for  in  the 
night,'  he  said,  'I  was  in  their  camp,  and  saw 
them,  by  torchlight,  bury  the  body  of  one  that 
day  dead.'  And  then  he  asked,  '  Is  that  a  prac- 

1  Gods. 


THE   SECOND   COMBAT  247 

tice  among  the  gods  ? '  Your  slave,  O  king,  is 
not  learned  as  a  paba,  and  therefore  believed  him." 

Montezuma  stood  up. 

"  Not  teules  !  How  thinks  he  they  should  be 
dealt  with  ?  " 

"He  says  that,  as  they  are  men,  they  are  also 
invaders,  with  whom  an  Aztec  cannot  treat. 
Nothing  for  them  but  war  !  " 

To  and  fro  the  monarch  walked.  After  which 
he  returned  to  Hualpa  and  said,  — 

"  Go  home  now.  To-morrow  I  will  send  you  a 
tilmatli  for  the  one  you  wear.  Look  to  your 
wounds,  and  recollect  the  trial.  As  you  love  life, 
have  there  your  proof.  I  will  be  your  accuser." 

"  As  the  great  king  is  merciful  to  his  children, 
the  gods  will  be  merciful  to  him.  I  will  give 
myself  to  the  guards,"  said  the  hunter,  to  whom 
anything  was  preferable  to  the  closet  in  the 
restaurant. 

"No,  you  are  free." 

Hualpa  kissed  the  floor,  and  arose,  and  hurried 
from  the  palace  to  the  house  of  Xoli  on  the  tian- 
guez.  The  effect  of  his  appearance  upon  that 
worthy,  and  the  effect  of  the  story  afterwards, 
may  be  imagined.  Attention  to  the  wounds,  a 
bath,  and  sound  slumber  put  the  adventurer  in 
a  better  condition  by  the  next  noon. 

And  from  that  night  he  thought  more  than 
ever  of  glory  and  Nenetzin. 


I  EXT  day,  after  the  removal  of  the 
noon  comfitures,  and  when  the 
princess  Tula  had  gone  to  the 
hammock  for  the  usual  siesta, 
Nenetzin  rushed  into  her  apart- 
ment unusually  excited. 

"  Oh,  I  have  something  so  strange  to  tell  you, 
—  something  so  strange  ! "  she  cried,  throwing 
herself  upon  the  hammock. 

Her  face  was  bright  and  very  beautiful.  Tula 
looked  at  her  a  moment,  then  put  her  lips  lovingly 
to  the  smooth  forehead. 

"By  the  Sun!  as  our  royal  father  sometimes 
swears,  my  sister  seems  in  earnest." 

"  Indeed  I  am ;  and  you  will  go  with  me,  will 
you  not  ? " 

"Ah!  you  want  to  take  me  to  the  garden  to 
see  the  dead  tiger,  or,  perhaps,  the  warrior  who 


THE   PORTRAIT  249 

slew  it,  or  —  now  I  have  it  —  you  have  seen  an- 
other minstrel." 

Tula  expected  the  girl  to  laugh,  but  was  sur- 
prised to  see  her  eyes  fill  with  tears.  She 
changed  her  manner  instantly,  and  bade  the  slave 
who  had  been  sitting  by  the  hammock,  fanning 
her,  to  retire.  Then  she  said,  — 

"  You  jest  so  much,  Nenetzin,  that  I  do  not 
know  when  you  are  serious.  I  love  you  :  now 
tell  me  what  has  happened." 

The  answer  was  given  in  a  low  voice. 

"  You  will  think  me  foolish,  and  so  I  am,  but 
I  cannot  help  it.  Do  you  recollect  the  dream  I 
told  you  the  night  on  the  chinampa  ?  " 

"  The  night  Yet  eve  came  to  us  ?     I  recollect." 

"  You  know  I  saw  a  man  come  and  sit  down  in 
our  father's  palace,  —  a  stranger  with  blue  eyes 
and  fair  face,  and  hair  and  beard  like  the  silk  of 
the  ripening  maize.  I  told  you  I  loved  him,  and 
would  have  none  but  him ;  and  you  laughed  at 
me,  and  said  he  was  the  god  Quetzal'.  Oh,  Tula, 
the  dream  has  come  back  to  me  many  times 
since  ;  so  often  that  it  seems,  when  I  am  awake, 
to  have  been  a  reality.  I  am  childish,  you  think, 
and  very  weak  ;  you  may  even  pity  me  ;  but  I 
have  grown  to  look  upon  the  blue-eyed  as  some- 
thing lovable  and  great,  and  thought  of  him  is  a 
part  of  my  mind;  so  much  so  that  it  is  useless 
for  me  to  say  he  is  not,  or  that  I  am  loving  a 
shadow.  And  now,  O  dear  Tula,  now  comes 
the  strange  part  of  my  story.  Yesterday,  you 
know,  a  courier  from  Cempoalla  brought  our 


250  THE   FAIR   GOD 

father  some  pictures  of  the  strangers  lately  landed 
from  the  sea.  This  morning  I  heard  there  were 
portraits  among  them,  and  could  not  resist  a 
curiosity  to  see  them  ;  so  I  went,  and  almost  the 
first  one  I  came  to,  —  do  not  laugh,  —  almost  the 
first  one  I  came  to  was  the  picture  of  him  who 
comes  to  me  so  often  in  my  dreams.  I  looked 
and  trembled.  There  indeed  he  was  ;  there  were 
the  blue  eyes,  the  yellow  hair,  the  white  face, 
even  the  dress,  shining  as  silver,  and  the  plumed 
crest.  I  did  not  stay  to  look  at  anything  else, 
but  hurried  here,  scarcely  knowing  whether  to  be 
glad  or  afraid.  I  thought  if  you  went  with  me  I 
would  not  be  afraid.  Go  you  must ;  we  will  look 
at  the  portrait  together."  And  she  hid  her  face, 
sobbing  like  a  child. 

"  It  is  too  wonderful  for  belief.  I  will  go,"  said 
Tula. 

She  arose,  and  the  slave  brought  and  threw 
over  her  shoulders  the  long  white  scarf  so  invari- 
ably a  part  of  an  Aztec  woman's  costume.  Then 
the  sisters  took  their  way  to  the  chamber  where 
the  pictures  were  kept,  —  the  same  into  which 
Hualpa  had  been  led  the  night  before.  The  king 
was  elsewhere  giving  audience,  and  his  clerks 
and  attendants  were  with  him.  So  the  two  were 
allowed  to  indulge  their  curiosity  undisturbed. 

Nenetzin  went  to  a  pile  of  manuscripts  lying 
on  the  floor.  The  elder  sister  was  startled  by 
the  first  picture  exposed ;  for  she  recognized  the 
handiwork,  long  since  familiar  to  her,  of  the  'tzin. 
Nor  was  she  less  surprised  by  the  subject,  which 


THE   PORTRAIT  251 

was  a  horse,  apparently  a  nobler  instrument  for  a 
god's  revenge  than  man  himself. 

Next  she  saw  pictured  a  horse,  its  rider 
mounted,  and  in  Christian  armor,  and  bearing 
shield,  lance,  and  sword.  Then  came  a  cannon, 
the  gunner  by  the  carriage,  his  match  lighted, 
while  a  volume  of  flame  and  smoke  was  bursting 
from  the  throat  of  the  piece.  A  portrait  followed  ; 
she  lifted  it  up,  and  trembled  to  see  the  hero  of 
Nenetzin's  dream  ! 

"Did  I  not  tell  you  so,  O  Tula  ? "  said  the  girl 
in  a  whisper. 

"  The  face  is  pleasant  and  noble,"  the  other 
answered  thoughtfully;  "but  I  am  afraid.  There 
is  evil  in  the  smile,  evil  in  the  blue  eyes." 

The  rest  of  the  manuscripts  they  left  untouched. 
The  one  absorbed  them  ;  but  with  what  different 
feelings !  Nenetzin  was  a-flutter  with  pleasure, 
restrained  by  awe.  Impressed  by  the  singularity 
of  the  vision,  as  thus  realized,  a  passionate  wish 
to  see  the  man  or  god,  whichever  h^  was,  and 
hear  his  voice,  may  be  called  her  nearest  sem- 
blance to  reflection.  Like  a  lover  in  the  presence 
of  the  beloved,  she  was  glad  and  contented,  and 
asked  nothing  of  the  future.  But  with  Tula, 
older  and  wiser,  it  was  different.  She  was  con- 
scious of  the  novelty  of  the  incident ;  at  the  same 
time  a  presentiment,  a  gloomy  foreboding,  filled 
her  soul.  In  slumber  we  sometimes  see  spectres, 
and  they  sit  by  us  and  smile  ;  yet  we  shrink,  and 
cannot  keep  down  anticipations  of  ill.  So  Tula 
was  affected  by  what  she  beheld. 


2S2 


THE   FAIR   GOD 


She  laid  the  portrait  softly  down,  and  turned  to 
Nenetzin,  who  had  now  no  need  to  deprecate  her 
laugh. 

"The  ways  of  the  gods  are  most  strange. 
Something  tells  me  this  is  their  work.  I  am 
afraid;  let  us  go." 

And  they  retired,  and  the  rest  of  the  day, 
swinging  in  the  hammock,  they  talked  of  the 
dream  and  the  portrait,  and  wondered  what  would 
come  of  them. 


IV 


THE   TRIAL 


UALPA'S  adventure  in  the  gar- 
"  den  made  a  great  stir  in  the  pal- 
:«  ace  and  the  city.  Profound  was 

TWWMiwf-   t^ie  astom'shment>  therefore,  when 
it  became  known  that  the  savior 
of  the  king  and  the  murderer  of  the  Tez- 
cucan  were  one  and  the  same  person,  and 
that,  in  the  latter  character,  he  was  to  be 
taken  into  court  and   tried   for   his  life, 
Montezuma    himself    acting   as    accuser, 
Though  universally  discredited,  the  story 
had  the  effect    of  drawing  an    immense 
attendance  at  the  trial. 
"  Ho,  Chalcan  !     Fly  not  your  friends  in  that 
way ! " 

So  the  broker  was  saluted  by  some  men  nobly 
dressed,  whom  he  was  about  passing  on  the  great 
street.  He  stopped,  and  bowed  very  low. 

"  A  pleasant  day,  my  lords  !  Your  invitation 
honors  me  ;  the  will  of  his  patrons  should  always 
be  law  to  the  poor  keeper  of  a  portico.  I  am  hur- 
rying to  the  trial." 


254  THE    FAIR   GOD 

"  Then  stay  with  us.  We  also  have  a  curiosity 
to  see  the  assassin." 

"My  good  lord  speaks  harshly.  The  boy, 
whom  I  love  as  a  son,  cannot  be  what  you  call 
him." 

The  noble  laughed.  "  Take  it  not  ill,  Chalcan. 
So  much  do  I  honor  the  hand  that  slew  the  base 
Tezcucan  that  I  care  not  whether  it  was  in  fair 
fight  or  by  vantage  taken.  But  what  do  you 
know  about  the  king  being  accuser  to-day  ?  " 

"  So  he  told  the  boy." 

"  Incredible !  " 

"I  will  not  quarrel  with  my  lord  on  that  ac- 
count," rejoined  the  broker.  "A  more  generous 
master  than  Montezuma  never  lived.  Are  not 
the  people  always  complaining  of  his  liberality  ? 
At  the  last  banquet,  for  inventing  a  simple  drink, 
did  he  not  give  me,  his  humblest  slave,  a  goblet 
fit  for  another  king  ?  " 

"  And  what  is  your  drink,  though  ever  so  excel- 
lent, to  the  saving  his  life  ?  Is  not  that  your 
argument,  Chalcan  ? " 

"  Yes,  my  lord,  and  at  such  peril !  Ah,  you 
should  have  seen  the  ocelot  when  taken  from  the 
tank!  The  keepers  told  me  it  was  the  largest 
and  fiercest  in  the  museum." 

Then  Xoli  proceeded  to  edify  his  noble  audi- 
ence with  all  the  gossip  pertaining  to  the  adven- 
ture ;  and  as  his  object  was  to  take  into  court 
some  friends  for  the  luckless  hunter  more  influen- 
tial than  himself,  he  succeeded  admirably.  Every 
few  steps  there  were  such  expressions  as,  "  It 


THE   TRIAL  255 

would  be  pitiful  if  so  brave  a  fellow  should  die  !  " 
"  If  I  were  king,  by  the  Sun,  I  would  enrich  him 
from  the  possessions  of  the  Tezcucan !  "  And 
as  they  showed  no  disposition  to  interrupt  him, 
his  pleading  lasted  to  the  house  of  justice,  where 
the  company  arrived  not  any  too  soon  to  procure 
comfortable  seats. 

The  courthouse  stood  at  the  left  of  the  street, 
a  little  retired  from  the  regular  line  of  buildings. 
The  visitors  had  first  to  pass  through  a  spacious 
hall,  which  brought  them  to  a  courtyard  cemented 
under  foot,  and  on  all  sides  bounded  with  beauti- 
ful houses.  Then,  on  the  right,  they  saw  the 
entrance  to  the  chamber  of  justice,  grotesquely 
called  the  Tribunal  of  God,1  in  which,  for  ages, 
had  been  administered  a  code,  vindictive,  but  not 
without  equity.  The  great  door  was  richly  carved  ; 
the  windows  high  and  broad,  and  lined  with  fluted 
marble;  while  a  projecting  cornice,  tastefully  fin- 
ished, gave  airiness  and  beauty  to  the  venerable 
structure. 

The  party  entered  the  room  with  profoundest 
reverence.  On  a  dais  sat  the  judge ;  in  front  of 
him  was  the  stool  bearing  the  skull  with  the 
emerald  crown  and  gay  plumes.  Turning  from 
the  plain  tapestry  along  the  walls,  the  spectators 
failed  not  to  admire  the  jewels  that  blazed  with 
almost  starry  splendor  from  the  centre  of  the 
canopy  above  him. 

The  broker,  not  being  of  the  class  of  privileged 
nobles,  found  a  seat  with  difficulty.  To  his  com- 

1  Prescott,  Cony,  of  Mexico,  vol.  i.,  p.  33. 


256  THE   FAIR  GOD 

fort,  however,  he  was  placed  by  the  side  of  an 
acquaintance. 

"  You  should  have  come  earlier,  Chalcan ;  the 
judge  has  twice  used  the  arrow  this  morning." 

"  Indeed !  " 

"Once  against  a  boy  too  much  given  to  pulque, 
—  a  drunkard.  With  the  other  doubtless  you 
were  acquainted." 

"Was  he  noble?" 

"  He  had  good  blood,  at  least,  being  the  son  of 
a  Tetzmellocan,  who  died  immensely  rich.  The 
witnesses  said  the  fellow  squandered  his  father's 
estate  almost  as  soon  as  it  came  to  him." 

"  Better  had  he  been  born  a  thief,"  1  said  Xoli 
coolly. 

Suddenly,  four  heralds,  with  silver  maces,  en- 
tered the  court-room,  announcing  the  monarch. 
The  people  fell  upon  their  knees,  and  so  remained 
until  he  was  seated  before  the  dais.  Then  they 
arose,  and,  with  staring  eyes,  devoured  the  beauty 
of  his  costume,  and  the  mysterious  sanction  of 
manner,  office,  power,  and  custom,  which  the 
lovers  of  royalty  throughout  the  world  have  de^ 
lighted  to  sum  up  in  the  one  word,  —  majesty. 
The  hum  of  voices  filled  the  chamber.  Then, 
by  another  door,  in  charge  of  officers,  Hualpa 
appeared,  and  was  led  to  the  dais  opposite  the 
king.  Before  an  Aztecan  court  there  was  no  cere- 
mony. The  highest  and  the  lowliest  stood  upon 
a  level :  such,  at  least,  was  the  beautiful  theory. 

1  A  thief  might  be  punished  with  slavery :  death  was  the 
penalty  for  prodigalism  and  drunkenness. 


THE   TRIAL  257 

So  intense  was  the  curiosity  to  see  the  prisoner 
that  the  spectators  pressed  upon  each  other,  for 
the  moment  mindless  of  the  monarch's  presence. 

"A  handsome  fellow!"  said  an  old  cacique 
approvingly. 

"  Only  a  boy,  my  lord  !  "  suggested  the  critic. 

"And  not  fierce-looking,  either." 

«Yes"- 

"No"  — 

"  He  might  kill,  but  in  fair  fight :  so  I  judge 
him." 

And  that  became  the  opinion  amongst  the 
nobles. 

"  Your  friend  seems  confident,  Xoli.  I  like 
him,"  remarked  the  Chalcan's  acquaintance. 

"  Hush  !     The  king  accuses." 

"The  king,  said  you!"  And  the  good  man, 
representing  the  commonalty,  was  frozen  into 
silence. 

In  another  quarter,  one  asked,  "  Does  he  not 
wear  the  'tzin's  livery  ?  " 

The  person  interrogated  covered  his  mouth 
with  both  hands,  then  drew  to  the  other's  ear,  and 
whispered,  — 

"Yes,  he  's  a  'tzin's  man,  and  that,  they  say,  is 
his  crime." 

The  sharp  voice  of  the  executive  officer  of  the 
court  rang  out,  and  there  was  stillness  almost 
breathless.  Up  rose  the  clerk,  a  learned  man, 
keeper  of  the  records,  and  read  the  indictment ; 
that  done,  he  laid  the  portrait  of  the  accused  on 
the  table  before  the  judge ;  then  the  trial  began. 


258  THE   FAIR   GOD 

The  judge,  playing  carelessly  with  the  fatal 
arrow,  said,  —  "Hualpa,  son  of  Tepaja,  the  Ti- 
huancan,  stand  up,  and  answer." 

And  the  prisoner  arose,  and  saluted  court  and 
king,  and  answered,  "  It  is  true,  that  on  the  night 
of  the  banquet,  I  fought  the  Tezcucan  ;  by  favor 
of  the  gods,  I  defeated,  without  slaying  him.  He 
is  here  in  person  to  acquit  me." 

"  Bring  the  witness,"  said  the  judge. 

Some  of  the  officers  retired ;  during  their  ab- 
sence a  solemn  hush  prevailed  directly;  they 
returned,  carrying  a  palanquin.  Right  before  the 
dais  they  set  it  down,  and  drew  aside  the  curtains. 
Then  slowly  the  Tezcucan  came  forth,  —  weak, 
but  unconquered.  At  the  judge  he  looked,  and 
at  the  king,  and  all  the  fire  of  his  haughty  soul 
burned  in  the  glance.  Borrowing  strength  from 
his  pride,  he  raised  his  head  high,  and  said  scorn- 
fully, - 

"The  power  of  my  father's  friend  is  exceeding 
great ;  he  speaks,  and  all  things  obey  him.  I  am 
sick  and  suffering  ;  but  he  bade  me  come,  and  I 
am  here.  What  new  shame  awaits  me  ?  " 

Montezuma  answered,  never  more  a  king  than 
then  :  "  'Hualpilli  was  wise  ;  his  son  is  foolish  ;  for 
the  memory  of  the  one  I  spare  the  other.  The 
keeper  of  this  sacred  place  will  answer  why  you 
are  brought  here.  Look  that  he  pardons  you 
lightly  as  I  have." 

Then  the  judge  said,  "Prince  of  Tezeuco,  you 
are  here  by  my  order.  There  stands  one  charged 
with  your  murder.  Would  you  have  had  him 


THE  TRIAL  259 

suffer  the  penalty  ?  You  have  dared  be  insolent. 
See,  O  prince,  that  before  to'-morrow  you  pay  the 
treasurer  ten  thousand  quills  of  gold.  See  to  it." 
And,  returning  the  portrait  to  the  clerk,  he  added, 
"  Let  the  accused  go  acquit." 

"Ah!  said  I  not  so,  said  I  not  so?  "  muttered 
the  Chalcan,  rubbing  his  hands  joyfully,  and  dis- 
turbing the  attentive  people  about  him. 

"  Hist,  hist !  "  they  said  impatiently.  "  What 
more?  hearken!" 

Hualpa  was  kneeling  before  the  monarch. 

"  Most  mighty  king,"  he  said,  "  if  what  I  have 
done  be  worthy  reward,  grant  me  the  discharge 
of  this  fine." 

"  How !  "  said  Montezuma,  amazed.  "  The  Tez- 
cucan  is  your  enemy  !  " 

"  Yet  he  fought  me  fairly,  and  is  a  warrior." 

The  eyes  of  the  king  sought  those  of  IztliT. 

"What  says  the  son  of  'Hualpilli  ?  " 

The  latter  raised  his  head  with  a  flash  of  the 
old  pride.  "  He  is  a  slave  of  Guatamozin's  :  I  scorn 
the  intercession.  I  am  yet  a  prince  of  Tezcuco." 

Then  the  monarch  went  forward,  and  sat  by  the 
judge.  Not  a  sound  was  heard,  till  he  spoke. 

"Arise,  and  come  near,"  he  said  to  Hualpa. 
"  I  will  do  what  becomes  me." 

His  voice  was  low  and  tremulous  with  feeling, 
and  over  his  face  came  the  peculiar  suffusion  of 
sadness  afterwards  its  habitual  expression.  The 
hunter  kissed  the  floor  at  his  feet,  and  remained 
kneeling.  Then  he  continued,  — 

"Son  of  the  Tihuancan,  I  acknowledge  I  owe 


260  THE    FAIR   GOD 

my  life  to  you,  and  I  call  all  to  hear  the  acknow- 
ledgment. If  the  people  have  thought  this  pro- 
secution part  of  my  gratitude,  —  if  they  have 
marveled  at  my  appearing  as  your  accuser,  much 
have  they  wronged  me.  I  thought  of  reward 
higher  than  they  could  have  asked  for  you  ;  but 
I  also  thought  to  try  you.  A  slave  is  not  fit  to 
be  a  chief,  nor  is  every  chief  fit  to  be  a  king.  I 
thought  to  try  you  :  I  am  satisfied.  When  your 
fame  goes  abroad,  as  it  will ;  when  the  minstrels 
sing  your  valor ;  when  Tenochtitlan  talks  of  the 
merchant's  son,  who,  in  the  garden,  slew  the 
tiger,  and  saved  the  life  of  Montezuma,  —  let  them 
also  tell  how  Montezuma  rewarded  him  ;  let  them 
say  I  made  him  noble." 

Thereupon  he  arose,  and  transferred  \ho.panacJie 
from  his  head  to  Hualpa's.  Those  close  by  looked 
at  the  gift,  and  saw,  for  the  first  time,  that  it  was 
not  the  crown,  but  the  crest  of  a  chief  or  cacique. 
Then  they  knew  that  the  trial  was  merely  to 
make  more  public  the  honors  designed. 

"Let  them  say  further,"  he  continued,  "that 
with  my  own  hand  I  made  him  a  warrior  of  the 
highest  grade."  And,  bending  over  the  adven- 
turer, he  clasped  around  his  neck  the  collar  of  the 
supreme  military  order  of  the  realm.1  "  Nor  is  that 
all.  Rank,  without  competence,  is  a  vexation  and 
shame.  At  the  foot  of  Chapultepec,  on  the  shore 

1  The  authorities  touching  the  military  orders  of  the  Aztecs 
are  full  and  complete.  Prescott,  Conq.  of  Mexico,  vol.  i.  p.  45 ; 
Acosta,  Book  vi.  ch.  26;  Mendoza's  Collec.  Antiq.  of  Mexico, 
vol.  i.  pi.  65. 


THE  TRIAL  261 

of  the  lake,  lie  an  estate  and  a  palace  of  which 
I  have  been  proud.  Let  it  be  said,  finally,  that  I 
gave  them  to  enrich  him  and  his  forever."  He 
paused,  and  turned  coldly  to  the  Tezcucan.  "  But 
as  to  the  son  of  'Hualpilli,  his  fine  must  stand ; 
such  pride  must  be  punished.  He  shall  pay  the 
gold,  or  forfeit  his  province."  Then,  outstretch- 
ing toward  the  audience  both  his  arms,  he  said, 
so  as  to  be  heard  throughout  the  chamber,  "  Now, 
O  my  children,  justice  has  been  done  !  " 

The  words  were  simple ;  but  the  manner,  royal 
as  a  king's  and  patriarchal  as  a  pontiff's,  brought 
every  listener  to  his  knees. 

"  Stand  up,  my  lord  Hualpa !  Take  your  place 
in  my  train.  I  will  return  to  the  palace." 

With  that  he  passed  out. 

And  soon  there  was  but  one  person  remaining, 
—  Iztlil',  the  Tezcucan.  Brought  from  Tlacopan 
by  officers  of  the  court,  too  weak  to  walk,  without 
slaves  to  help  him,  at  sight  of  the  deserted  hall 
his  countenance  became  haggard,  the  light  in  his 
hollow  eyes  came  and  went,  and  his  broad  breast 
heaved  passionately  ;  in  that  long,  slow  look  he 
measured  the  depth  of  his  fall. 

"  O  Tezcuco,  Tezcuco,  city  of  my  fathers  ! "  he 
cried  aloud.  "  This  is  the  last  wrong  to  the  last 
of  thy  race  of  kings." 

A  little  after  he  was  upon  a  bench  exhausted, 
his  head  covered  by  his  mantle.  Then  a  hand 
was  laid  upon  his  shoulder ;  he  looked  up  and 
saw  Hualpa. 

"  How  now  !    Has  the  base-born  come  to  enjoy 


262  THE    FAIR  GOD 

his  triumph  ?  I  cannot  strike.  Laugh  and  revile 
me;  but  remember,  mine  is  the  blood  of  kings. 
The  gods  loved  my  father,  and  will  not  abandon 
his  son.  In  their  names  I  curse  you  !  " 

"Tezcucan,  you  are  proud  to  foolishness,"  said 
the  hunter  calmly.  "  I  came  to  serve  you.  Within 
an  hour  I  have  become  master  of  slaves  "  - 

"  And  were  yourself  a  slave !  " 

"  Well,  I  won  my  freedom  ;  I  slew  a  beast  and 
conquered  a  —  But,  prince,  my  slaves  are  at  the 
door.  Command  them  to  Tlacopan." 

"  Play  .courtier  to  those  who  have  influence ; 
lean  your  ambition  upon  one  who  can  advance  it. 
I  am  undone." 

"  I  am  not  a  courtier.  The  service  I  offer 
you  springs  from  a  warrior's  motive.  I  propose 
it,  not  to  a  man  of  power,  but  to  a  prince  whose 
courage  is  superior  to  his  fortune." 

For  a  moment  the  Tezcucan  studied  the  glow- 
ing face  ;  then  his  brows  relaxed,  and,  sighing  like 
a  woman,  and  like  a  woman  overcome  by  the  un- 
expected gentleness,  he  bowed  his  head,  and  cov- 
ered his  face  with  his  hands,  that  he  might  not  be 
accused  of  tears. 

"  Let  me  call  the  slaves,  O  prince,"  said  Hualpa. 

Thrice  he  clapped  his  hands,  whereat  four  tat- 
tooed tamanes  stalked  into  the  chamber  with  a 
palanquin.  Iztlil'  took  seat  in  the  carriage,  and 
was  being  borne  away,  when  he  called  the  hunter. 

"A  word,"  he  said,  in  a  voice  from  which  all 
passion  was  gone.  "  Though  my  enemy,  you  have 
been  generous,  and  remembered  my  misfortunes 


THE   TRIAL  263 

when  all  others  forsook  me.  Take  with  you  this 
mark.  I  do  not  ask  you  to  wear  it,  for  the  time 
is  nearly  come  when  the  son  of  'Hualpilli  will  be 
proscribed  throughout  the  valley ;  but  keep  it  in 
witness  that  I,  the  son  of  a  king,  acknowledged 
your  right  and  fitness  to  be  a  noble.  Farewell." 

Hualpa  could  not  refuse  a  present  so  delicately 
given  ;  extending  his  hand,  he  received  a  bracelet 
of  gold,  set  with  an  Aztec  diamond  of  immense 
value.  He  clasped  it  upon  his  arm,  and  followed 
the  carriage  into  the  street. 


BOOK    FOUR 


c*f 


THK    KING   GIVES    A    TRUST   TO    HUALPA 

ND  now  was  come  the  time  of 
all  the  year  most  pleasant,  — 
the  time  when  the  maguey  was 
greenest,  when  the  cacti  burst 
into  flowers,  and  in  every  field 
women  and  children,  with  the 
strong  men,  went  to  pluck  the 
ripened  maize.  Of  the  summer,  only  the  wealth 
and  beauty  remained.  The  Goddess  of  Abun- 
dance divided  the  worship  which,  at  other  sea- 
sons, was  mostly  given  to  Huitzil'  and  Tezca';1 
in  her  temples  the  days  were  all  of  prayer,  hymn- 
ing, and  priestly  ceremony.  No  other  towers  sent 

1  Tezcatlipoca,  a  god  next  in  rank  to  the  Supreme  Being. 
Supposed  creator  of  the  world. 


268  THE   FAIR   GOD 

up  such  columns  of  the  blue  smoke  so  grateful  to 
the  dwellers  in  the  Sun ;  in  no  other  places  were 
there  such  incessant  burning  of  censers,  presen- 
tation of  gifts,  and  sacrifice  of  victims.  Through- 
out the  valley  the  people  caroled  those  songs  the 
sweetest  and  most  millennial  of  men,  —  the  songs 
of  harvest,  peace,  and  plenty. 

I  have  before  said  that  Tezcuco,  the  lake,  was 
the  especial  pride  of  the  Aztecs.  When  the  sky 
was  clear,  and  the  air  tranquil,  it  was  very  beauti- 
ful ;  but  when  the  king,  with  his  court,  all  in  state, 
set  out  for  the  hunting-grounds  on  the  northern 
shore,  its  beauty  rose  to  splendor.  By  his  invita- 
tion great  numbers  of  citizens,  in  style  suited  to 
the  honor,  joined  their  canoes  to  the  flotilla  com- 
posing the  retinue.  And  let  it  not  be  forgotten 
that  the  Aztec  loved  his  canoe  as  in  Christendom 
the  good  knight  loves  his  steed,  and  decorated  it 
with  all  he  knew  of  art ;  that  its  prow,  rising  high 
above  the  water,  and  touched  by  the  master  sculp- 
tors, was  dressed  in  garlands  and  fantastic  sym- 
bols ;  that  its  light  and  shapely  canopy,  elegantly 
trimmed  within,  was  shaded  by  curtains,  and  sur- 
mounted by  trailing  streamers  ;  and  that  the 
slaves,  four,  six,  and  sometimes  twelve  in  num- 
ber, dipped  and  drew  their  flashing  paddles  in 
faultless  time,  and  shone  afar  brilliant  in  livery. 
So,  when  the  multitude  of  vessels  cleared  the  city 
walls,  and  with  music  and  songs  dashed  into  the 
open  lake,  the  very  water  seemed  to  dance  and 
quiver  with  a  sensuous  pleasure. 

In    such    style   did    Montezuma   one   pleasant 


THE   KING  GIVES   A   TRUST  TO   HUALPA    269 

morning  leave  his  capital.  Calm  was  the  lake, 
and  so  clear  that  the  reflection  of  the  sky  above 
seemed  a  bed  of  blue  below.  There  were  music, 
and  shouts,  and  merry  songs,  and  from  the  city 
the  cheers  and  plaudits  of  the  thousands  who, 
from  the  walls  and  housetops,  witnessed  the  pa- 
geant. And  his  canoe  was  the  soul  of  the  pomp, 
and  he  had  with  him  his  favorite  minstrel  and 
jester,  and  Maxtla ;  yet  there  was  something  on 
his  mind  that  made  him  indifferent  to  the  scene 
and  prospective  sport.  Some  distance  out,  by 
his  direction,  the  slaves  so  manoeuvred  that  all 
the  flotilla  passed  him ;  then  he  said  to  Maxtla, 
"  The  will  has  left  me.  I  will  not  hunt  to-day  ; 
yet  the  pastime  must  go  on  ;  a  recall  now  were 
unkingly.  Look  out  for  a  way  to  follow  the  train, 
while  I  return." 

The  chief  arose,  and  swept  the  lake  with  a 
bright  glance.  "  Yonder  is  a  ckinampa  ;  I  can 
take  its  master's  canoe." 

"  Do  so.  Give  this  ring  to  the  lord  Cuitlahua, 
and  tell  him  to  conduct  the  hunt." 

And  soon  Maxtla  was  hurrying  to  the  north 
with  the  signet,  while  the  monarch  was  speeding 
more  swiftly  to  the  south. 

"For  Iztapalapan,"  said  the  latter  to  his  slaves. 
"  Take  me  there  before  the  lords  reach  the  hunt- 
ing-grounds, and  you  shall  have  a  feast  to-night." 

They  bent  to  the  paddles,  and  rested  not  until 
he  saw  the  white  houses  of  the  city,  built  far  into 
the  lake  in  imitation  of  the  capital. 

"Not  to   the  town,  but   the  palace  of  Guata- 


270  THE   FAIR   GOD 

mozin,"  he  then  said.  "  Speed  !  the  sun  is  rising 
high." 

Arrived  at  the  landing,  Montezuma  set  forward 
alone  to  the  palace.  The  path  led  into  a  grove 
of  cedar  and  wild  orange-trees,  interspersed  with 
ceibas,  the  true  kings  of  the  forests  of  New  Mex- 
ico. The  air  was  sweet  with  perfume ;  birds 
sang  to  each  other  from  the  coverts  ;  the  adjacent 
cascades  played  their  steady,  muffled  music  ;  and 
altogether  morning  on  the  lake  was  less  beautiful 
than  morning  in  the  'tzin's  garden.  In  the  mul- 
titude of  walks  he  became  bewildered ;  but,  as  he 
was  pleased  by  all  he  beheld,  he  walked  on  with- 
out consulting  the  sun.  At  length,  guided  by 
the  sound  of  voices,  he  came  to  the  arena  for 
martial  games ;  and  there  he  found  Hualpa  and 
Io'  practicing  with  the  bow. 

He  had  been  wont  to  regard  Io'  as  a  child,  un- 
ripe for  any  but  childish  amusements,  and  hardly 
to  be  trusted  alone.  Absorbed  in  his  business  of 
governing,  he  had  not  observed  how  increase  of 
years  brought  the  boy  strength,  stature,  and  cor- 
responding tastes.  Now  he  was  admonished  of 
his  neglect ;  the  stripling  should  have  been  fami- 
liarized with  bow,  sling,  and  maquahuitl ;  men 
ought  to  have  been  given  him  for  comrades ;  the 
warrior's  school,  even  the  actual  field,  had  been 
better  for  him  than  the  nursery.  An  idea  of 
ambition  also  occurred  to  the  monarch.  When 
he  himself  was  gathered  to  his  fathers,  who  was 
to  succeed  him  on  the  throne?  Cuitlahua,  Ca- 
cama,  the  lord  of  Tlacopan  ?  Why  not  Io'  ? 


THE    KING   GIVES   A   TRUST   TO   HUALPA   271 

Meanwhile  the  two  diligently  pursued  their 
sport.  At  the  moment  the  king  came  upon 
them,  Hualpa  was  giving  some  directions  as  to 
the  mode  of  holding  the  brave  weapon.  The  boy 
listened  eagerly,  —  a  sign  that  pleased  the  ob- 
server, for  nothing  is  so  easy  as  to  flatter  the 
hope  of  a  dreamy  heart.  Observing  them  further, 
he  saw  Io'  take  the  stand,  draw  the  arrow  quite 
to  the  head,  and  strike  the  target.  At  the  sec- 
ond trial,  he  pierced  the  centre.  Hualpa  em- 
braced the  scholar  joyously ;  and  thereupon  the 
king  warmed  toward  the  warrior,  and  tears  blinded 
his  eyes.  Advancing  into  the  arena,  the  clang- 
ing of  his  golden  sandals  announced  his  presence. 

And  they  knelt  and  kissed  the  earth. 

"Stand  up!"  he  said,  with  the  smile  which 
gave  his  countenance  a  womanly  beauty.  And 
to  Hualpa  he  added,  "  I  thought  your  palace  by 
Chapultepec  would  be  more  attractive  than  the 
practice  of  arms ;  more  credit  should  have  been 
given  the  habits  of  a  hunter.  I  was  right  to 
make  you  noble.  But  what  can  you  make  of  Io'  ? " 

"  If  you  will  give  the  time,  O  king,  I  can  make 
him  of  excellent  skill." 

"And  what  says  the  son  of  Tecalco  ? " 

Io'  knelt  again,  saying,  "I  have  a  pardon  to 
ask  "  — 

"  A  pardon  !     For  wishing  to  be  a  warrior  ? " 

"  If  the  king  will  hear  me,  —  I  have  heard  you 
say  that  in  your  youth  you  divided  your  days 
between  the  camp  and  the  temples,  learning  at 
the  same  time  the  duties  of  the  priest  and  the 


272  THE   FAIR   GOD 

warrior.  That  I  may  be  able  some  day  to  serve 
you,  O  king,  I  have  stolen  away  from  Tenoch- 
titlan  —  " 

Montezuma  laid  his  hand  tenderly  on  the  boy's 
head,  and  said,  "  No  more.  I  know  all  you  would 
say,  and  will  ask  the  great  Huitzil'  to  give  you 
strength  and  courage.  Take  my  permission  to 
be  a  warrior.  Arise,  now,  and  give  me  the  bow. 
It  is  long  since  I  pulled  the  cord,  and  my  hand 
may  have  weakened,  and  my  eyes  become  dim  ; 
but  I  challenge  you  both !  I  have  a  shield 
wrought  of  pearl  and  gold,  unfit  for  the  field,  yet 
beautiful  as  a  prize  of  skill.  Who  plants  an  arrow 
nearest  yon  target's  heart,  his  the  shield  shall  be." 

The  challenge  was  accepted,  and  after  prepara- 
tion, the  monarch  dropped  his  mantle,  and  took 
the  stand.  He  drew  the  shaft  to  his  ear  with  a 
careless  show  of  skill ;  and  when  it  quivered  in 
the  target  about  a  palm's  breadth  below  the  mark, 
he  said,  laughing,  "  I  am  at  least  within  the  line 
of  the  good  bowman.  A  Tlascalan  would  not 
have  escaped  scarless." 

Io'  next  took  the  bow,  and  was  so  fortunate  as 
to  hit  the  lower  edge  of  the  heart  squarely  above 
the  king's  bolt. 

"Mine  is  the  shield,  mine  is  the  shield  !  "  he 
cried  exultantly.  "  Oh,  that  a  minstrel  were 
here !  I  would  have  a  song,  —  my  first  song ! " 

"  Very  proud  !  "  said  the  king  good-humoredly. 
"  Know  you,  boy,  the  warrior  counts  his  captives 
only  when  the  battle  is  ended.  Here,  lord 
Hualpa,  the  boaster  should  be  beaten.  Prove 


THE    KING   GIVES   A   TRUST   TO   HUALPA    273 

your  quality.  To  you  there  may  be  more  in  this 
trial  than  a  song  or  a  golden  shield." 

The  hunter  took  the  vacant  place ;  his  arrow 
whistled  away,  and  the  report  came  back  from 
the  target.  By  a  happy  accident,  if  such  it  were, 
the  copper  point  was  planted  exactly  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  space  between  the  other  two. 

More  joyous  than  before  arose  the  cry  of  Io', 
"  I  have  beaten  a  king  and  a  warrior  !  Mine  is 
the  shield,  mine  is  the  shield  !  " 

And  the  king,  listening,  said  to  himself,  "  I 
remember  my  own  youth,  and  its  earliest  victory, 
and  how  I  passed  from  successes  at  first  the  most 
trifling.  Ah  !  who  but  Huitzil',  father  of  all  the 
gods,  can  tell  the  end  ?  Blessed  the  day  when  I 
can  set  before  him  the  prospect  of  a  throne  in- 
stead of  a  shield  !  " 

The  target  was  brought  him,  and  he  measured 
the  distance  of  each  arrow  from  the  centre  ;  and 
when  he  saw  how  exactly  Hualpa's  was  planted 
between  the  others,  his  subtle  mind  detected  the 
purpose  and  the  generosity. 

"  The  victory  is  yours,  O  my  son,  and  so  is  the 
shield,"  he  said  slowly  and  thoughtfully.  "But 
ah  !  were  it  given  you  to  look  with  eyes  like 
mine,  —  with  eyes  sharpened  by  age  for  the  dis- 
covery of  blessings,  —  your  rejoicing  would  be 
over  a  friend  found,  whose  love  is  proof  against 
vanity  and  the  hope  of  reward." 

Hualpa  understood  him,  and  was  proud.  What 
was  the  prize  lost  to  Montezuma  gained  ? 

"  It  grows  late  ;  my  time  is  sacred,"  said  the 


274  THE   FAIR   GOD 

king.  "  Lord  Hualpa,  stay  and  guide  me  to  the 
palace.  And  Io',  be  you  my  courier  to  the  'tzin. 
Go  before,  and  tell  him  I  am  coming." 

The  boy  ran  ahead,  and  as  they  leisurely  fol- 
lowed him,  the  monarch  relapsed  into  melancholy. 
In  the  shade  of  a  ceiba  tree  he  stopped,  and  said, 
"  There  is  a  service  you  might  do  me,  that  lies 
nearer  my  heart  than  any  other." 

"  The  will  of  the  great  king  is  mine,"  Hualpa 
replied,  with  a  low  reverence. 

"When  I  am  old,"  pursued  Montezuma,  "when 
the  things  of  earth  begin  to  recede  from  me,  it 
would  be  pleasant  to  have  a  son  worthy  to  lift  the 
Empire  from  my  shoulders.  While  I  am  going 
up  the  steps  of  the  temple,  a  seeker  of  the  holy 
peace  that  lies  in  worship  and  prayer,  the  govern- 
ment would  not  then  be  a  care  to  disturb  me. 
But  I  am  sensible  that  no  one  could  thus  relieve 
me  unless  he  had  the  strong  hand  of  a  warrior, 
and  was  fearless  except  of  the  gods.  Io'  is  my 
only  hope.  From  you  he  first  caught  the  desire 
of  greatness,  and  you  can  make  him  great.  Take 
him  as  a  comrade ;  love  him  as  a  brother ;  teach 
him  the  elements  of  war,  —  to  wield  spear  and 
maquahuitl ;  to  bear  shield,  to  command,  and  to 
be  brave  and  generous.  Show  him  the  ways  of 
ambition.  Above  all,"  —  as  he  spoke  he  raised 
his  head  and  hand,  and  looked  the  impersonation 
of  his  idea,  —  "  above  all,  let  him  know  that  a 
king  may  find  his  glory  as  much  in  the  love  of 
his  people  as  in  his  power.  Am  I  understood  ?  " 

Hualpa   did   not   look   up,    but   said,    "  Am  I 


THE   KING    GIVES   A   TRUST  TO   HUALPA    275 

worthy  ?  I  have  the  skill  of  hand ;  but  have  I 
the  learning  ? " 

"  To  make  him  learned  belongs  to  the  priests. 
I  only  asked  you  to  make  him  a  warrior." 

"  Does  not  that  belong  to  the  gods  ?  " 

"  No  :  he  derives  nothing  from  them  but  the 
soul.  They  will  not  teach  him  to  launch  the 
arrow." 

"  Then  I  accept  the  charge.  Shall  he  go  with 
me  ? " 

"Always,  —  even  to  battle." 

O  mighty  king !  was  the  shadow  of  the  com- 
ing fate  upon  thy  spirit  then  ? 


II 


THE   KING   AND   THE   'TZIN 

[HE  visit  was  unexpected  to  Guatamo- 
zin,  and  its  object  a  mystery ;  but  he 
thought  only  of  paying  the  guest  meet 
honor  and  respect,  for  he  was  still  the 
great  king.  And  so,  bareheaded  and 
unarmed,  he  went  forth,  and,  meeting 
him  in  the  garden,  knelt,  and  saluted 
him  after  the  manner  of  the  court. 

"  I  am  glad  to  say  the  word  of  welcome 
to  my  father's   brother.     Know,   O   king, 
that  my  house,  my  garden,  and  all  you  be- 
hold are  yours." 
Hualpa   left   them  ;  then    Montezuma  replied, 


THE   KING  AND   THE   'TZIN  277 

the  sadness  of  his  voice  softening  the  austerity  of 
his  manner,  — 

"  I  have  loved  you  well,  Guatamozin.  Very 
good  it  was  to  mark  you  come  up  from  boyhood, 
and  day  by  day  grow  in  strength  and  thought.  I 
never  knew  one  so  rich  in  promise.  Ours  is  a 
proud  race,  and  you  seemed  to  have  all  its  genius. 
From  the  beginning  you  were  thoughtful  and 
provident ;  in  the  field  there  was  always  a  victory 
for  you,  and  in  council  your  words  were  the  soul 
of  policy.  Oh,  ill  was  the  day  evil  came  between 
us,  and  suspicion  shattered  the  love  I  bore  you ! 
Arise !  I  have  not  crossed  the  lake  for  explana- 
tions ;  there  is  that  to  speak  of  more  important 
to  us  both." 

The  'tzin  arose,  and  looked  into  the  monarch's 
face,  his  own  suffused  with  grief. 

"Is  not  a  king  punished  for  the  wrong  he 
does?" 

Montezuma's  brows  lowered,  chilling  the  fixed 
look  which  was  his  only  answer ;  and  the  'tzin 
spoke  on. 

"  I  cannot  accuse  you  directly  ;  but  this  I  will 
say,  O  king  :  a  just  man,  and  a  brave,  never  con- 
demns another  upon  suspicion." 

The  monarch's  eyes  blazed  with  sudden  fire, 
and  from  his  maxtlatl  he  drew  a  knife.  The  'tzin 
moved  not ;  the  armed  hand  stopped  ;  an  instant 
each  met  the  other's  gaze,  then  the  weapon  was 
flung  away. 

"I  am  a  child,"  said  the  king,  vexed  and 
ashamed.  "  When  I  came  here  I  did  not  think 


278  THE    FAIR  GOD 

of  the  past,  I  thought  only  of  the  Empire  ;  but 
trouble  has  devoured  my  strength  of  purpose, 
until  my  power  mocks  me,  and,  most  miserable 
of  men,  I  yearn  to  fly  from  myself,  without  know- 
ing where  to  find  relief.  A  vague  impulse  — 
whence  derived,  except  from  intolerable  suffering 
of  mind,  I  know  not  — brought  me  to  you.  Oh, 
'tzin,  silent  be  the  differences  that  separate  us. 
Yours  I  know  to  be  a  tongue  of  undefiled  truth  ; 
and  if  not  for  me  now,  for  our  country,  and  the 
renown  of  our  fathers,  I  believe  you  will  speak." 

The  shame,  the  grief,  and  the  self-accusation 
moved  the  'tzin  more  than  the  deadly  menace. 

"  Set  my  feet,  O  king !  set  my  feet  in  the  way 
to  serve  or  save  my  country,  and  I  will  tread  it, 
though  every  step  be  sown  with  the  terrors  of 
Mictlan." 

"  I  did  not  misjudge  you,  my  son,"  the  king 
said,  when  he  had  again  perfectly  mastered  his 
feelings. 

And  Guatamozin,  yet  more  softened,  would 
have  given  him  all  the  old  love,  but  that  Tula, 
contracted  to  the  Tezcucan,  rose  to  memory. 
Checking  the  impulse,  he  regarded  the  unhappy 
monarch  sorrowfully. 

And  the  latter,  glancing  up  at  the  sun,  said,  — 

"  It  is  getting  late.  I  left  the  train  going  to 
the  hunting-grounds.  By  noon  they  will  return, 
and  I  wish  to  be  at  the  city  before  them.  My 
canoe  lies  at  the  landing  ;  walk  there  with  me, 
and  on  the  way  I  will  speak  of  the  purpose  of  my 
visit." 


THE   KING  AND   THE   'TZIN  279 

Their  steps  as  they  went  were  slow,  and  their 
faces  downcast  and  solemn.  The  king  was  first 
to  speak. 

"  As  the  time  requires,  I  have  held  many  coun- 
cils, and  taken  the  voice  of  priest,  warrior,  and 
merchant ;  and  they  agree  in  nothing  but  their 
confusion  and  fear." 

"The  king  forgets, — I  have  been  barred  his 
councils,  and  know  not  what  they  considered." 

"  True,  true  ;  yet  there  is  but  one  topic  in  all 
Anahuac,  —  in  the  Empire.  Of  that,  the  tamancs 
talk  gravely  as  their  masters ;  only  one  class  asks, 
'  Who  are  the  white  men  making  all  this  trouble? ' 
while  the  other  argues,  '  They  are  here ;  they  are 
gods.  What  are  we  to  do  ? '  " 

"  And  what  say  the  councils,  O  king  ? " 

"It  could  not  be  that  all  would  speak  as  one 
man.  Of  different  castes,  they  are  differently 
moved.  The  pabas  believe  the  Sun  has  sent  us 
some  godly  warriors,  whom  nothing  earthly  can 
subdue.  They  advise  patience,  friendship,  and 
peace.  '  The  eye  of  Huitzil'  is  on  them,  number- 
ing their  marches.  In  the  shade  'of  the  great 
temple  he  awaits,  and  there  he  will  consume  them 
with  a  breath,'  —  so  say  the  pabas.  The  warriors 
are  dumb,  or  else  borrow  and  reassert  the  opin- 
ions of  the  holy  men.  '  Give  them  gold,  if  they 
will  depart ;  if  not  that,  give  them  peace,  and 
leave  the  issue  to  the  gods,'  —  so  they  say.  Cui- 
tlahua  says  war ;  so  does  Cacama.  The  mer- 
chants and  the  people  have  no  opinion,  —  nothing 
but  fear.  For  myself,  yesterday  I  was  for  war, 


280  THE   FAIR   GOD 

to-day  I  am  for  peace.  So  far  I  have  chosen  to  act 
upon  the  advice  of  the  pabas.  I  have  sent  the 
strangers  many  presents  and  friendly  messages, 
and  kept  ambassadors  in  their  camp  ;  but  while 
preserving  such  relations,  I  have  continually  for- 
bade their  coming  to  Tenochtitlan.  They  seem 
bolder  than  men.  Who  but  they  would  have 
undertaken  the  march  from  Cempoalla  ?  What 
tribes  or  people  could  have  conquered  Tlascala, 
as  they  have  ?  You  have  heard  of  their  battles. 
Did  they  not  in  a  day  what  we  have  failed  to  do 
in  a  hundred  years  ?  With  Tlascala  for  ally,  they 
have  set  my  word  at  naught,  and,  whether  they 
be  of  the  sun  or  the  earth,  they  are  now  march- 
ing upon  Cholula,  most  sacred  city  of  the  gods. 
And  from  Cholula  there  is  but  one  more  march. 
Already  from  the  mountains  they  have  looked 
wistfully  down  on  our  valley  of  gardens,  upon 
Tenochtitlan.  O  'tzin,  'tzin,  can  we  forget  the 
prophecy  ? " 

"  Shall  I  say  what  I  think  ?  Will  the  king  hear 
me  ?  "  asked  Guatamozin. 

"  For  that  I  came.    Speak ! " 

"  I  obey  gladly.  The  opportunity  is  dearer  to 
me  than  any  honor.  And,  speaking,  I  will  re- 
member of  what  race  I  am." 

"  Speak  as  if  you  were  king." 

"Then —  I  condemn  your  policy." 

The  monarch's  face  remained  placid.  If  the 
bluff  words  wounded  him,  he  dissembled  con- 
summately. 

"  It  was  not  well  to  go  so  often  to  the  temple," 


THE   KING   AND   THE   'TZIN  281 

Guatamozin  continued.  "Huitzn"  is  not  there; 
the  pabas  have  only  his  name,  his  image  and  altar ; 
your  breast  is  his  true  temple  ;  there  ought  you  to 
find  him.  Yesterday,  you  say,  you  were  for  war ; 
the  god  was  with  you  then  :  to-day  you  are  for 
peace ;  the  god  has  abandoned  you.  I  know  not 
in  what  words  the  lords  Cuitlahua  and  Cacama 
urged  their  counsel,  nor  on  what  grounds.  By  the 
Sun !  theirs  is  the  only  policy  that  comports  with 
the  fame  of  a  ruler  of  Aztecs.  Why  speak  of  any 
other  ?  For  me,  I  would  seek  the  strangers  in 
battle  and  die,  sooner  than  a  minstrel  should  sing, 
or  tradition  tell,  how  Guatamozin,  overcome  by 
fear,  dwelt  in  their  camp  praying  peace  as  the 
beggar  prays  for  bread." 

Literally,  Guatamozin  was  speaking  like  a  king. 

"  I  have  heard  your  pearl-divers  say,"  he  con- 
tinued, "that  they  never  venture  into  a  strange 
sea  without  dread.  Like  the  new  sea  to  them, 
this  subject  has  been  to  your  people ;  but  however 
the  declaration  may  strike  your  ears,  O  king,  I 
have-  sounded  all  its  depths.  While  your  priests 
were  asking  questions  of  speechless  hearts  ;  while 
your  lords  were  nursing  their  love  of  ease  in  the 
shade  and  perfume  of  your  palace;  while  your 
warriors,  forgetful  of  their  glory,  indulged  the 
fancy  that  the  new  enemy  were  gods  ;  while  Mon- 
tezuma  was  watching  stars,  and  studying  omens, 
and  listening  to  oracles  which  the  gods  know  not, 
hoping  for  wisdom  to  be  found  nowhere  as  cer- 
tainly as  in  his  own  royal  instincts,  — face  to  face 
with  the  strangers,  in  their  very  camp,  I  studied 


282  THE   FAIR   GOD 

them,  their  customs,  language,  and  nature.  Take 
heart,  O  king !  Gods,  indeed  !  Why,  like  men, 
I  have  seen  them  hunger  and  thirst ;  like  men, 
heard  them  complain ;  on  the  other  hand,  like 
men,  I  have  seen  them  feed  and  drink  to  surfeit, 
and  heard  them  sing  from  gladness.  What  means 
their  love  of  gold  ?  If  they  come  from  the  Sun, 
where  the  dwellings  of  the  gods,  and  the  hills 
they  are  built  on,  are  all  of  gold,  why  should  they 
be  seeking  it  here  ?  Nor  is  that  all.  I  listened 
to  the  interpreter,  through  whom  their  leader 
explained  his  religion,  and  they  are  worshipers, 
like  us,  only  they  adore  a  woman,  instead  of  a 
great,  heroic  god  " 

"  A  woman  !  "  exclaimed  the  king. 

"  Nay,  the  argument  is  that  they  worship  at  all. 
Gods  do  not  adore  each  other  !  " 

They  had  now  walked  some  distance,  and  so 
absorbed  had  Montezuma  been  that  he  had 
not  observed  the  direction  they  were  pursuing. 
Emerging  suddenly  from  a  cypress-grove,  he  was 
surprised  to  find  the  path  terminate  in  a  small 
lake,  which,  at  any  other  time,  would  have  excited 
his  admiration.  Tall  trees,  draped  to  their  top- 
most boughs  in  luxuriant  vines,  encircled  the  little 
expanse  of  water,  and  in  its  midst  there  was  an 
island,  crowned  with  a  kiosk  or  summer-house,  and 
covered  with  orange  shrubs  and  tapering  palms. 

"Bear  with  me,  O  king,"  said  Guatamozin, 
observing  his  wonder.  "  I  brought  you  here  that 
you  may  be  absolutely  convinced  of  the  nature  of 
our  enemies.  On  that  island  I  have  an  argument 


THE   KING  AND   THE  TZIN  283 

stronger  than  the  vagaries  of  pabas  or  the  fancies 
of  warriors,  —  a  visible  argument." 

He  stepped  into  a  canoe  lying  at  the  foot  of 
the  path,  and,  with  a  sweep  of  the  paddle,  drove 
across  to  the  island.  Remaining  there,  he  pushed 
the  vessel  back. 

"Come  over,  O  king,  come  over,  and  see." 

Montezuma  followed  boldly,  and  was  led  to  the 
kiosk.  The  retreat  was  not  one  of  frequent  resort. 
Several  times  they  were  stopped  by  vines  grown 
across  the  path.  Inside  the  house,  the  visitor  had 
no  leisure  for  observation  ;  he  was  at  once  arrested 
by  an  object  that  filled  him  with  horror.  On  a 
table  was  a  human  head.  Squarely  severed  from 
the  body,  it  stood  upright  on  the  base  of  the  neck, 
looking,  with  its  ghastly,  white  face,  directly 
toward  the  entrance.  The  features  were  swollen 
and  ferocious  ;  the  black  brows  locked  in  a  frown, 
with  which,  as  was  plainly  to  be  seen,  nature  had 
as  much  to  do  as  death ;  the  hair  was  short,  and 
on  the  crown  almost  worn  away ;  heavy,  matted 
beard  covered  the  cheeks  and  chin  ;  finally,  other 
means  of  identification  being  wanted,  the  coarse, 
upturned  mustache  would  have  betrayed  the  Span- 
iard. Montezuma  surveyed  the  head  for  some 
time ;  at  length,  mastering  his  deep  loathing,  he 
advanced  to  the  table. 

"  A  teule  !  "  he  said,  in  a  low  voice. 

"A  man,  — only  a  man  ! "  exclaimed  Guatamo- 
zin,  so  sternly  that  the  monarch  shrank  as  if  the 
blue  lips  of  the  dead  had  spoken  to  him.  "  Ask 
yourself,  O  king,  Do  the  gods  die  ? " 


284  THE   FAIR   GOD 

Montezuma  smiled,  either  at  his  own  alarm  or 
at  the  ghastly  argument. 

"Whence  came  the  trophy?"  he  asked. 

"  Have  you  not  heard  of  the  battle  of  Nauh- 
tlan?" 

"Surely ;  but  tell  it  again." 

"When  the  strangers  marched  to  Tlascala," 
the  'tzin  began,  "  their  chief  left  a  garrison  behind 
him  in  the  town  he  founded.  I  was  then  on  the 
coast.  To  convince  the  people,  and  particularly 
the  army,  that  they  were  men,  I  determined  to 
attack  them.  An  opportunity  soon  occurred.  Your 
tax-gatherers  happening  to  visit  Nauhtlan,  the 
township  revolted,  and  claimed  protection  of  the 
garrison,  who  marched  to  their  relief.  At  my 
instance,  the  caciques  drew  their  bands  together, 
and  we  set  upon  the  enemy.  The  Totonaques 
fled  at  our  first  war-cry ;  but  the  strangers  wel- 
comed us  with  a  new  kind  of  war.  They  were  few 
in  number,  but  the  thunder  seemed  theirs,  and 
they  hailed  great  stones  upon  us,  and  after  a  while 
came  against  us  upon  their  fierce  animals.  When 
my  warriors  saw  them  come  leaping  on,  they  fled. 
All  was  lost.  I  had  but  one  thought  more,  —  a 
captive  taken  might  save  the  Empire.  I  ran 
where  the  strangers  clove  their  bloody  way. 
This  "  —  and  he  pointed  to  the  head  —  "  was  the 
chief,  and  I  met  him  in  the  rout,  raging  like  a 
tiger  in  a  herd  of  deer.  He  was  bold  and  strong, 
and,  shouting  his  battle-cry,  he  rushed  upon  me. 
His  spear  went  through  my  shield.  I  wrenched 
it  from  him,  and  slew  the  beast ;  then  I  dragged 


THE   KING   AND   THE   'TZIN  285 

him  away,  intending  to  bring  him  alive  to  Te- 
nochtitlan  ;  but  he  slew  himself.  So  look  again ! 
What  likeness  is  there  in  that  to  a  god  ?  O  king, 
I  ask  you,  did  ever  its  sightless  eyes  see  the 
glories  of  the  Sun,  or  its  rotting  lips  sing  a  song 
in  heaven?  Is  Huitzil'  or  Tezca'  made  of  such 
stuff  ? " 

The  monarch,  turning  away,  laid  his  hand  fa- 
miliarly on  the  'tzin's  arm,  and  said,  — 

"Come,  I  am  content.     Let  us  go." 

And  they  started  for  the  landing. 

"The  strangers,  as  I  have  said,  my  son,  are 
marching  to  Cholula.  And  Malinche  —  so  their 
chief  is  called  —  now  says  he  is  coming  to  Te- 
nochtitlan." 

"To  Tenochtitlan !  In  its  honored  name,  in 
the  name  of  its  kings  and  gods,  I  protest  against 
his  coming ! " 

"  Too  late,  too  late ! "  replied  Montezuma,  his 
face  working  as  though  a  pang  were  at  his  heart. 
"  I  have  invited  him  to  come." 

"Alas,  alas!"  cried  Guatamozin  solemnly. 
"  The  day  he  enters  the  capital  will  be  the  com- 
mencement of  the  woe,  if  it  has  not  already  com- 
menced. The  many  victories  will  have  been  in 
vain.  The  provinces  will  drop  away,  like  threaded 
pearls  when  the  string  is  broken.  O  king,  better 
had  you  buried  your  crown,  —  better  for  your 
people,  better  for  your  own  glory!  " 

"  Your  words  are  bitter,"  said  the  monarch 
gloomily. 

"  f  speak  from  the  fullness  of  a  heart  darkened 


286  THE   FAIR   GOD 

by  a  vision  of  Anahuac  blasted,  and  her  glory 
gone,"  returned  the  'tzin.  Then  in  a  lament, 
vivid  with  poetic  coloring,  he  set  forth  a  picture 
of  the  national  ruin,  —  the  armies  overthrown,  the 
city  wasted,  the  old  religion  supplanted  by  a  new. 
At  the  shore  where  the  canoe  was  waiting,  Monte- 
zuma  stopped,  and  said,  — 

"  You  have  spoken  boldly,  and  I  have  listened 
patiently.  One  thing  more :  What  does  Guata- 
mozin  say  the  king  should  do  ?  " 

"  It  is  not  enough  for  the  servant  to  know  his 
own  place  ;  he  should  know  his  master's  also.  I 
say  not  what  the  king  should  do,  but  I  will  say 
what  I  would  do  if  I  were  king." 

Rising  from  the  obeisance  with  which  he  accom- 
panied the  words,  he  said  boldly,  — 

"Cholula  should  be  the  grave  of  the  invaders. 
The  whole  population  should  strike  them  in  the 
narrow  streets  where  they  can  be  best  assailed. 
Shut  up  in  some  square  or  temple,  hunger  will  fight 
them  for  us,  and  win.  But  I  would  not  trust  the 
citizens  alone.  In  sight  of  the  temples,  so  close 
that  a  conch  could  summon  them  to  the  attack,  I 
would  encamp  a  hundred  thousand  warriors.  Bet- 
ter the  desolation  of  Cholula  than  Tenochtitlan. 
If  all  things  else  failed,  I  would  take  to  the  last 
resort ;  I  would  call  in  the  waters  of  Tezcuco  and 
drown  the  city  to  the  highest  asoteas.  So  would 
I,  O  king,  if  the  crown  and  signet  were  mine." 

Montezuma  looked  from  the  speaker  to  the  lake. 

"The  project  is  bold,"  he  said  musingly;  "but 
if  it  failed,  my  son  ? " 


THE   KING   AND   THE   TZIN  287 

"The  failure  should  be  but  the  beginning  of 
the  war." 

"What  would  the  nations  say?" 

"  They  would  say, « Montezuma  is  still  the  great 
king.'  If  they  do  not  that "  — 

"What  then?" 

"  Call  on  the  teotuctli.  The  gods  can  be  made 
speak  whatever  your  policy  demands." 

"Does  my  son  blaspheme?'"  said  Montezuma 
angrily. 

"Nay,  I  but  spoke  of  what  has  happened. 
Long  rule  the  good  god  of  our  fathers  !  " 

Yet  the  monarch  was  not  satisfied.  Never  be- 
fore had  discourse  been  addressed  to  him  in  strain 
so  bold. 

"They  see  all  things,  even  our  hearts,"  he  said, 
turning  coldly  away.  "  Farewell.  A  courier  will 
come  for  you  when  your  presence  is  wanted  in 
the  city." 

And  so  they  separated,  conscious  that  no  heal- 
ing had  been  brought  to  their  broken  friendship. 
As  the  canoe  moved  off,  the  'tzin  knelt,  but  the 
king  looked  not  that  way  again. 


LOVE   ON   THE   LAKE 

HH  AT  can  they  mean  ?  Here  have 
they  been  loitering  since  morn- 
ing, as  if  the  lake,  like  the  tian- 
giiez,  were  a  place  for  idlers. 
As  I  love  the  gods,  if  I  knew 
them,  they  should  be  pun- 
""  ished!" 

So  the  farmer  of  the  chinampa  heretofore  de- 
scribed as  the  property  of  the  princess  Tula  gave 
expression  to  his  wrath ;  after  which  he  returned 
to  his  employment ;  that  is,  he  went  crawling 
among  the  shrubs  and  flowers,  pruning-knife  in 
hand,  here  clipping  a  limb,  there  loosening  the 
loam.  Emerging  from  the  thicket  after  a  pro- 
tracted stay,  his  ire  was  again  aroused. 

"Still  there!  Thieves  may  be,  watching  a 
chance  to  steal.  But  we  shall  see.  My  work 
is  done,  and  I  will  not  take  eyes  off  of  them 
again." 


LOVE   ON   THE   LAKE  289 

The  good  man's  alarm  was  occasioned  by  the 
occupants  of  a  canoe,  which,  since  sunrise,  had 
been  plying  about  the  garden,  never  stationary, 
seldom  more  than  three  hundred  yards  away,  yet 
always  keeping  on  the  side  next  the  city.  Once 
in  a  while  the  slaves  withdrew  their  paddles,  leav- 
ing the  vessel  to  the  breeze;  at  such  times  it 
drifted  so  near  that  he  could  see  the  voyageurs 
reclining  in  the  shade  of  the  blue  canopy,  wrapped 
in  escaupils  such  as  none  but  lords  or  distinguished 
merchants  were  permitted  to  wear. 

The  leisurely  voyageurs,  on  their  part,  appeared 
to  have  a  perfect  understanding  of  the  light  in 
which  they  were  viewed  from  the  chinampa. 

"There  he  is  again  !     See  !  "  said  one  of  them. 

The  other  lifted  the  curtain,  and  looked,  and 
laughed. 

"Ah!  if  we  could  send  an  arrow  there,  just 
near  enough  to  whistle  through  the  orange-trees. 
Tula  would  never  hear  the  end  of  the  story.  He 
would  tell  her  how  two  thieves  came  to  plunder 
him  ;  how  they  shot  at  him  ;  how  narrowly  he 
escaped  "  — 

"And  how  valiantly  he  defended  the  garden. 
By  Our  Mother,  Io',  I  have  a  mind  to  try  him  ! " 

Hualpa  half  rose  to  measure  the  distance,  but 
fell  back  at  once.  "  No.  Better  that  we  get  into 
no  difficulty.  We  are  messengers,  and  have  these 
flowers  to  deliver.  Besides,  the  judge  is  not  to 
my  liking." 

"Tula  is  merciful,  and  would  forgive  you  for 
the  'tzin's  sake." 


290  THE   FAIR  GOD 

"I  meant  the  judge  of  the  court,"  Hualpa  said 
soberly.  "  You  never  saw  him  lift  the  golden 
arrow,  as  if  to  draw  it  across  your  portrait.  It  is 
pleasanter  sitting  here,  in  the  shade,  rocked  by 
the  water." 

"And  pleasanter  yet  to  be  made  noble  and 
master  of  a  palace  over  by  Chapultepec,"  Io'  an- 
swered. "But  see!  Yonder  is  a  canoe." 

"  From  the  city  ?  " 

"It  is  too  far  off;  wait  awhile." 

But  Hualpa,  impatient,  leaned  over  the  side, 
and  looked  for  himself.  At  the  time  they  were 
up  in  the  northern  part  of  the  lake,  at  least  a 
league  from  the  capital.  Long,  regular  swells, 
something  like  those  of  the  sea  when  settling 
into  calm,  tumbled  the  surface  ;  far  to  the  south, 
however,  he  discerned  the  canoe,  looking  no 
larger  than  a  blue-winged  gull. 

"  It  is  coming ;  I  see  the  prow  this  way.  Is 
the  vase  ready  ?  " 

"  The  vase !  You  forget ;  there  are  two  of 
them." 

Hualpa  looked  down  confused. 

"  Does  the  'tzin  intend  them  both  for  Tula  ? " 

Hualpa  was  the  more  embarrassed. 

"Flowers  have  a  meaning;  sometimes  they 
tell  tales.  Let  me  see  if  I  cannot  read  what  the 
'tzin  would  say  to  Tula." 

And  Io'  went  forward  and  brought  the  vases, 
and,  placing  them  before  him,  began  to  study 
each, flower. 

"Io',"  said  Hualpa  in  a  low  voice,  "but  one  of 
the  vases  is  the  'tzin's." 


LOVE    ON   THE   LAKE  291 

"And  the  other?"  asked  the  prince,  looking 
up. 

Hualpa's  face  flushed  deeper. 

"The  other  is  mine.  Have  you  not  two  sis- 
ters ? " 

lo's  eyes  dilated;  a  moment  he  was  serious, 
then  he  burst  out  laughing. 

"  I  have  you  now !  Nenetzin,  —  she,  too,  has 
a  lover." 

The  hunter  never  found  himself  so  at  loss  ;  he 
played  with  the  loops  of  his  escaupil,  and  refused 
to  take  his  eyes  off  the  coming  canoe.  Through 
his  veins  the  blood  ran  merrily ;  in  his  brain  it 
intoxicated,  like  wine. 

"  I  have  heard  how  love  makes  women  of  war- 
riors ;  now  I  will  see,  —  I  will  see  how  brave  you 
are." 

"  Ho,  slaves !  Put  the  canoe  about ;  yonder 
are  those  whom  I  would  meet,"  Hualpa  shouted. 

The  vessel  was  headed  to  the  south.  A  long 
distance  had  to  be  passed,  and  in  the  time  the 
ambassador  recovered  himself.  Lying  down 
again,  and  twanging  the  chord  of  his  bow,  he 
endeavored  to  compose  a  speech  to  accompany 
the  delivery  of  the  vase  to  Tula.  But  his 
thoughts  would  return  to  his  own  love ;  the 
laugh  with  which  Io'  received  his  explanation 
flattered  him ;  and,  true  to  the  logic  of  the  pas- 
sion, he  already  saw  the  vase  accepted,  and  him- 
self the  favored  of  N-enetzin.  From  that  point 
the  world  of  dreams  was  but  a  step  distant ;  he 
took  the  step,  but  was  brought  back  by  Io'. 


292  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"  They  recognize  us ;  Nenetzin  waves  her 
scarf ! " 

The  approaching  vessel  was  elegant  as  the  art 
of  the  Aztecan  shipmaster  could  make  it.  The 
prow  was  sculptured  into  the  head  and  slender, 
curved  neck  of  a  swan.  The  passengers,  fair  as 
ever  journeyed  on  sea  wave,  sat  under  a  canopy 
of  royal  green,  above  which  floated  a  panache  of 
long,  trailing  feathers,  colored  like  the  canopy. 
Like  a  creature  of  the  water,  so  lightly,  so  grace- 
fully, the  boat  drew  nigh  the  messengers.  When 
alongside,  Io'  sprang  aboard,  and,  with  boyish 
ardor,  embraced  his  sisters. 

"  What  has  kept  you  so  ?  " 

"We  stayed  to  see  twenty  thousand  warriors 
cross  the  causeway,"  replied  Nenetzin. 

"  Where  can  they  be  going  ?  " 

"  To  Cholula." 

The  news  excited  the  boy  ;  turning  to  speak  to 
Hualpa,  he  was  reminded  of  his  duty. 

"  Here  is  a  messenger  from  Guatamozin,  —  the 
lord  Hualpa,  who  slew  the  tiger  in  the  garden." 

The  heart  of  the  young  warrior  beat  violently ; 
he  touched  the  floor  of  the  canoe  with  his  palm. 

And  Tula  spoke.  "We  have  heard  the  min- 
strels sing  the  story.  Arise,  lord  Hualpa." 

"  The  words  of  the  noble  Tula  are  pleasanter 
than  any  song.  Will  she  hear  the  message  I 
bring  ? " 

She  looked  at  Io'  and  Nenetzin,  and  assented. 

"  Guatamozin  salutes  the  noble  Tula.  He 
hopes  the  blessings  of  the  gods  are  about  her. 


LOVE   ON   THE   LAKE  293 

He  bade  me  say,  that  four  mornings  ago  the  king 
visited  him  at  his  palace,  but  talked  of  nothing 
but  the  strangers ;  so  that  the  contract  with 
Iztlil',  the  Tezcucan,  still  holds  good.  Further, 
the  king  asked  his  counsel  as  to  what  should  be 
done  with  the  strangers.  He  advised  war,  where- 
upon the  king  became  angry,  and  departed,  say- 
ing that  a  courier  would  come  for  the  'tzin  when 
his  presence  was  wanted  in  the  city ;  so  the  ban- 
ishment also  holds  good.  And  so,  finally,  there 
is  no  more  hope  from  interviews  with  the  king. 
All  that  remains  is  to  leave  the  cause  to  time  and 
the  gods." 

A  moment  her  calm  face  was  troubled  ;  but 
she  recovered,  and  said,  with  simple  dignity,  — 

"  I  thank  you.     Is  the  'tzin  well  and  patient  ?  " 

"He  is  a  warrior,  noble  Tula,  and  foemen  are 
marching  through  the  provinces,  like  welcome 
guests ;  he  thinks  of  them,  and  curses  the  peace 
as  a  season  fruitful  of  dishonor." 

Nenetzin,  who  had  been  quietly  listening,  was 
aroused. 

"  Has  he  heard  the  news  ?  Does  he  not  know 
a  battle  is  to  be  fought  in  Cholula  ? " 

"Such  tidings  will  be  medicine  to  his  spirit." 

"  A  battle  !  "  cried  Io'.  "  Tell  me  about  it, 
Nenetzin." 

"  I,  too,  will  listen,"  said  Hualpa ;  "  for  the 
gods  have  given  me  a  love  of  words  spoken  with 
a  voice  sweeter  than  the  flutes  of  Tezca'." 

The  girl  laughed  aloud,  and  was  well  pleased, 
although  she  answered,  — 


294  THE    FAIR   GOD 

"  My  father  gave  me  a  bracelet  this  morning, 
but  he  did  not  carry  his  love  so  far  as  to  tell  me 
his  purposes  ;  and  I  am  not  yet  a  warrior  to  talk 
to  warriors  about  battles.  The  lord  Maxtla,  even 
Tula  here,  can  better  tell  you  of  such  things." 

"  Of  what  ?  "  asked  Tula. 

"  Io'  and  his  friend  wish  to  know  all  about  the 
war." 

The  elder  princess  mused  a  moment,  and  then 
said  gravely,  "  You  may  tell  the  'tzin,  as  from  me, 
lord  Hualpa,  that  twenty  thousand  warriors  this 
morning  marched  for  Cholula ;  that  the  citizens 
there  have  been  armed  ;  and  to-morrow,  the  gods 
willing,  Malinche  will  be  attacked.  The  king  at 
one  time  thought  of  conducting  the  expedition 
himself  ;  but,  by  persuasion  of  the  paba,  Mualox, 
he  has  given  the  command  to  the  lord  Cuitlahua." 

Io'  clapped  his  hands.  "  The  gods  are  kind  ; 
let  us  rejoice,  O  Hualpa !  What  marching  of 
armies  there  will  be !  What  battles  !  Hasten, 
and  let  us  to  Cholula;  we  can  be  there  before 
the  night  sets  in." 

"  What !  "  said  Nenetzin.  "  Would  you  fight, 
Io'  ?  No,  no ;  come  home  with  us,  and  I  will 
put  my  parrot  in  a  tree,  and  .you  may  shoot  at 
him  all  day." 

The  boy  went  to  his  own  canoe,  and,  returning, 
held  up  a  shield  of  pearl  and  gold.  "  See !  With 
a  bow  I  beat  our  father  and  the  lord  Hualpa,  and 
this  was  the  prize." 

"  That  a  shield  !"  Nenetzin  said.  "A  toy, — 
a  mere  brooch  to  a  Tlascalan.  I  have  a  tortoise- 
shell  that  will  serve  you  better." 


LOVE   ON   THE   LAKE  295 

The  boy  frowned,  and  a  rejoinder  was  on  his 
lips  when  Tula  spoke. 

"  The  flowers  in  your  vases  are  very  beautiful, 
lord  Hualpa.  What  altar  is  to  receive  the  tri- 
bute ? " 

Nenetzin's  badinage  had  charmed  the  ambas- 
sador into  forgetfulness  of  his  embassy ;  so  he 
answered  confusedly,  "  The  noble  Tula  reminds 
me  of  my  duty.  Before  now,  standing  upon  the 
hills  of  Tihuanco,  watching  the  morning  bright- 
ening in  the  east,  I  have  forgotten  myself.  I 
pray  pardon  "  - 

Tula  glanced  archly  at  Nenetzin.  "  The  morn- 
ing looks  pleasant ;  doubtless,  its  worshiper  will 
be  forgiven." 

And  then  he  knew  the  woman's  sharp  eyes  had 
seen  into  his  inner  heart,  and  that  the  audacious 
dream  he  there  cherished  was  exposed ;  yet  his 
confusion  gave  place  to  delight,  for  the  discovery 
had  been  published  with  a  smile.  Thereupon,  he 
set  one  of  the  vases  at  her  feet,  and  touched  the 
floor  with  his  palm,  and  said,  — 

"  I  was  charged  -by  Guatamozin  to  salute  you 
again,  and  say  that  these  flowers  would  tell  you 
all  his  hopes  and  wishes." 

As  she  raised  the  gift,  her  hand  trembled  ;  then 
he  discovered  how  precious  a  simple  Cholulan  vase 
could  become ;  and  with  that  his  real  task  was  be- 
fore him.  Taking  the  other  vase,  he  knelt  before 
Nenetzin. 

"  I  have  but  little  skill  in  courtierly  ways,"  he 
said.  "  In  flowers  I  see  nothing  but  their  beauty  ; 


296  THE    FAIR   GOD 

and  what  I  would  have  these  say  is,  that  if  Ne- 
netzin,  the  beautiful  Nenetzin,  will  accept  them, 
she  will  make  me  very  happy." 

The  girl  looked  at  Tula,  then  at  him  ;  then  she 
raised  the  vase,  and,  laughing,  hid  her  face  in  the 
flowers. 

But  little  more  was  said ;  and  soon  the  lashings 
were  cast  off,  and  the  vessels  separated. 

On  the  return  Hualpa  stopped  at  Tenochtitlan, 
and  in  the  shade  of  the  portico,  over  a  cup  of  the 
new  beverage,  now  all  the  fashion,  received  from 
Xoli  the  particulars  of  the  contemplated  attack 
upon  the  strangers  in  Cholula ;  for,  with  his  usual 
diligence  in  the  fields  of  gossip,  the  broker  had 
early  informed  himself  of  all  that  was  to  be  heard 
of  the  affair.  And  that  night,  while  Io'  dreamed 
of  war,  and  the  hunter  of  love,  the  'tzin  paced  his 
study  or  wandered  through  his  gardens,  feverishly 
solicitous  about  the  result  of  the  expedition. 

"  If  it  fail,"  he  repeated  over  and  over,  —  "  if  it 
fail,  Malinche  will  enter  Tenochtitlan  as  a  god  !  " 


IV 


THE    KING    DEMANDS    A    SIGN    OF    MUALOX 

EXT  morning  Mualox  ascended 
the  tower  of  his  old  Cu.  The 
hour  was  so  early  that  the  stars 
were  still  shining  in  the  east.  He 
fed  the  fire  in  the  great  urn  until 
it  burst  into  cheery  flame ;  then, 
spreading  his  mantle  on  the  roof, 
he  lay  down  to  woo  back  the  slumber  from  which 
he  had  been  taken.  By  and  by,  a  man,  armed 
with  a  javelin,  and  clad  in  cotton  mail,  came  up 
the  steps,  and  spoke  to  the  paba. 

"  Does  the  servant  of  his  god  sleep  this  morn- 
ing ?  " 


298  THE   FAIR  GOD 

Mualox  arose,  and  kissed  the  pavement. 

"  Montezuma  is  welcome.  The  blessing  of  the 
gods  upon  him  !  " 

"  Of  all  the  gods,  Mualox  ? " 

"Of  all,  —  even  Quetzal's,  O  king !  " 

"  Arise  !  Last  night  I  bade  you  wait  me  here. 
I  said  I  would  come  with  the  morning  star ;  yon- 
der it  is,  and  I  am  faithful.  The  time  is  fittest 
for  my  business." 

Mualox  arose,  and  stood  before  the  monarch 
with  bowed  head  and  crossed  hands. 

"Montezuma  knows  his  servant." 

"  Yet  I  seek  to  know  him  better.  Mualox, 
Mualox,  have  you  room  for  a  perfect  love  aside 
from  Quetzal'  ?  What  would  you  do  for  me  ?  " 

"Ask  me  rather  what  I  would  not  do." 

"  Hear  me,  then.  Lately  you  have  been  a  coun- 
cilor in  my  palace;  with  my  policy  and  purposes 
you  are  acquainted ;  you  knew  of  the  march  to 
Cholula,  and  the  order  to  attack  the  strangers ; 
you  were  present  when  they  were  resolved  "- 

"And  opposed  them.  Witness  for  me  to  Que- 
tzal', O  king !  " 

"Yes,  you  prophesied  evil  and  failure  from 
them,  and  for  that  I  seek  you  now.  Tell  me, 
O  Mualox,  spake  you  then  as  a  prophet  ? " 

The  paba  ventured  to  look  up  and  study  the 
face  of  the  questioner  as  well  as  he  could  in  the 
flickering  light. 

"  I  know  the  vulgar  have  called  me  a  magician," 
he  said  slowly  ;  "  and  sometimes  they  have  spoken 
of  my  commerce  with  the  stars.  To  say  that 


THE  KING  DEMANDS  A  SIGN  OF  MUALOX     299 

either  report  is  true,  were  wrong  to  the  gods. 
Regardful  of  them,  I  cannot  answer  you ;  but 
I  can  say  —  and  its  sufficiency  depends  on  your 
wisdom  —  your  slave,  O  king,  is  warned  of  your 
intention.  You  come  asking  a  sign ;  you  would 
have  me  prove  my  power,  that  it  may  be  seen." 

"  By  the  Sun  "  — 

"  Nay,  —  if  my  master  will  permit,  —  another 
word." 

"  I  came  to  hear  you  ;  say  on." 

"  You  spoke  of  me  as  a  councilor  in  the  palace. 
How  may  we  measure  the  value  of  honors  ?  By 
the  intent  with  which  they  are  given  ?  O  king, 
had  you  not  thought  the  poor  paba  would  use  his 
power  for  the  betrayal  of  his  god ;  had  you  not 
thought  he  could  stand  between  you  and  the 
wrath"  - 

"No  more,  Mualox,  no  more!"  said  Monte- 
zuma.  "  I  confess  I  asked  you  to  the  palace  that 
you  might  befriend  me.  Was  I  wrong  to  count 
on  your  loyalty?  Are  you  not  of  Anahuac  ? 
And  further ;  I  confess  I  come  now  seeking  a 
sign.  I  command  you  to  show  me  the  future !  " 

"If  you  do  indeed  believe  me  the  beloved  of 
Quetzal'  and  his  prophet,  then  are  you  bold, — 
even  for  a  king." 

"  Until  I  wrong  the  gods,  why  should  I  fear  ? 
I,  too,  am  a  priest." 

"  Be  wise,  O  my  master  !  Let  the  future  alone  ; 
it  is  sown  with  sorrows  to  all  you  love." 

"  Have  done,  paba !  "  the  king  exclaimed  an- 
grily.- "  I  am  weary,  —  by  the  Sun  !  I  am  weary 
of  such  words." 


300  /:         THE   FAIR   GOD 

The  holy  man  ,bqjved  reverently,  and  touched 
the  floor  witk  his/palm,  saying,  — 

"Mualox  la^s\'his^heart  at  his  master's  feet. 
In  the  time  wlie^t.his  tJeard  was  black  and  his 
spirit  young,  he  bJlgn  the* singing  of  two  songs, 
—  one  of  worship  to  Quetzal',  the  other  of  love 
for  Montezuma."  : 

These  words  he  said  tremulously  ;  and  there 
was  that  in  the  manner,  in  the  bent  form,  in  the 
low  obeisance,  which  soothed  the  impatience  of 
the  king,  so  that  he  turned  away,  and  looked  out 
over  the  city.  And  day  began  to  gild  the  east ; 
in  a  short  time  the  sun  would  claim  his  own. 
Still  the  monarch  thought,  still  Mualox  stood 
humbly  waiting  his  pleasure.  At  length  the 
former  approached  the  fire. 

"  Mualox,"  he  said,  speaking  slowly,  "  I  crossed 
the  lake  the  other  day,  and  talked  with  Guata- 
mozin  about  the  strangers.  He  satisfied  me  they 
are  not  teules,  and,  more,  he  urged  me  to  attack 
them  in  Cholula." 

"The  'tzin  !  "  exclaimed  Mualox,  in  strong  sur- 
prise. 

Montezuma  knew  the  love  of  the  paba  for  the 
young  cacique  rested  upon  his  supposed  love  of 
Quetzal' ;  so  he  continued,  — 

"  The  attack  was  planned  by  him ;  only  he 
would  have  sent  a  hundred  thousand  warriors  to 
help  the  citizens.  The  order  is  out ;  the  com- 
panies are  there  ;  blood  will  run  in  the  streets  of 
the  holy  city  to-day.  The  battle  waits  on  the  sun, 
and  it  is  nearly  up.  Mualox,"  —  his  manner  be- 


THE  KING  DEMANDS  A  SIGN  OF   MUALOX    301 

came  solemn,  —  "  Mualox,  0n  this  day's  work  bides 
my  peace.  The  morning  comes  :  by  all  your  pro- 
phet's power,  tell  me  what  the  night  will  bring !  " 

Sorely  was  the  paba  troubled.  The  king's  faith 
in  his  qualities  as  prophet  he  saw  was  absolute, 
and  that  it  was  too  late  to  deny  the  character. 

"  Does  Montezuma  believe  the  Sun  would  tell 
me  what  it  withholds  from  its  child  ?  " 

"  Quetzal',  not  the  Sun,  will  speak  to  you." 

"But  Quetzal'  is  your  enemy." 

Montezuma  laid  his  hand  .on  the  paba's.  "I 
have  heard  you  speak  of  love  for  me ;  prove  it  now, 
and  your  reward  shall  be  princely.  I  will  give 
you  a  palace,  and  many  slaves,  and  riches  beyond 
count." 

Mualox  bent  his  head,  and  was  silent.  Enjoy- 
ment of  a  palace  meant  abandonment  of  the  old 
Cti  and  sacred  service.  Just  then  the  wail  of  a 
watcher  from  a  distant  temple  swept  faintly  by ;  he 
heard  the  cry,  and  from  his  surplice  drew  a  trum- 
pet, and  through  it  sung  with  a  swelling  voice,  — 

"  Morning  is  come !  Morning  is  come !  To  the 
temples,  O  worshipers !  Morning  is  come  !  " 

And  the  warning  hymn,  the  same  that  had  been 
heard  from  the  old  tower  for  so  many  ages,  heard 
heralding  suns  while  the  city  was  founding,  given 
now,  amid  the  singer's  sore  perplexity,  was  an 
assurance  to  his  listening  deity  that  he  was  faith- 
ful against  kingly  blandishments  as  well  as  kingly 
neglect.  While  the  words  were  being  repeated 
from  the  many  temples,  he  stood  attentive  to 
them,  then  he  turned,  and  said,  — 


302  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"  Montezuma  is  generous  to  his  slave  ;  but  am- 
bition is  a  goodly  tree  gone  to  dust  in  my  heart ; 
and  if  it  were  not,  O  king,  what  are  all  your 
treasures  to  that  in  the  golden  chamber  ?  Nay, 
keep  your  offerings,  and  let  me  keep  the  temple. 
I  hunger  after  no  riches  except  such  as  lie  in  the 
love  of  Quetzal'." 

"Then  tell  me,"  said  the  monarch  impatiently, 
—  "  without  price,  tell  me  his  will." 

"  I  cannot,  I  am  but  a  man ;  but  this  much  I 
can  "  —  He  faltered  ;  the  hands  crossed  upon  his 
breast  closed  tightly,  and  the  breast  labored  pain- 
fully. 

"  I  am  waiting.     Speak !     What  can  you  ? " 

"  Will  the  king  trust  his  servant,  and  go  with 
him  down  into  the  Cu  again  ? " 

"To  talk  with  the  Morning,  this  is  the  place," 
said  the  monarch,  too  well  remembering  the 
former  introduction  to  the  mysteries  of  the  ancient 
house. 

"My  master  mistakes  me  for  a  juggling  sooth- 
sayer ;  he  thinks  I  will  look  into  the  halls  of  the 
Sun  through  burning  drugs,  and  the  magic  of  un- 
meaning words.  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  the 
Morning ;  I  have  no  incantations.  I  am  but  the 
dutiful  slave  of  Quetzal',  the  god,  and  Montezuma, 
the  king." 

The  royal  listener  looked  away  again,  debating 
with  his  fears,  which,  it  is  but  just  to  say,  were 
not  of  harm  from  the  paba.  Men  unfamiliar  with 
the  custom  do  not  think  lightly  of  encountering 
things  unnatural ;  in  this  instance,  moreover,  favor 


THE  KING  DEMANDS  A  SIGN  OF  MUALOX     303 

was  not  to  be  hoped  from  the  god  through  whom 
the  forbidden  knowledge  was  to  come.  But  curi- 
osity and  an  uncontrollable  interest  in  the  result 
of  the  affair  in  Cholula  overcame  his  apprehensions. 

"  I  will  go  with  you.     I  am  ready,"  he  said. 

The  old  man  stooped,  and  touched  the  roof, 
and,  rising,  said,  "  I  have  a  little  world  of  my  own, 

0  king ;  and  though  without  sun  and  stars,  and 
the  grand  harmony  which  only  the  gods  can  give, 
it  has  its  wonders  and  beauty,  and  is  to  me  a  place 
of  perpetual  delight.    Bide  my  return  a  little  while. 

1  will  go  and  prepare  the  way  for  you." 

Resuming  his  mantle,  he  departed,  leaving  the 
king  to  study  the  new-born  day.  When  he  came 
back,  the  valley  and  the  sky  were  full  of  the  glory 
of  the  sun  full  risen.  And  they  descended  to  the 
asoteas,  thence  to  the  courtyard.  Taking  a  lamp 
hanging  in  a  passage-door,  the  holy  man,  with  the 
utmost  reverence,  conducted  his  guest  into  the 
labyrinth.  At  first,  the  latter  tried  to  recollect 
the  course  taken,  the  halls  and  stairs  passed, 
and  the  stories  descended ;  but  the  thread  was 
too  often  broken,  the  light  too  dim,  the  way  too 
intricate.  Soon  he  yielded  himself  entirely  to  his 
guide,  and  followed,  wondering  much  at  the 
massiveness  of  the  building,  and  the  courage 
necessary  to  live  there  alone.  Ignorant  of  the 
zeal  which  had  become  the  motive  of  the  paba's 
life,  inspiring  him  with  incredible  cunning  and 
industry,  and  equally  without  a  conception  of  the 
power  there  is  in  one  idea  long  awake  in  the  soul 
and  nursed  into  mania,  it  was  not  singular  that,  as 


304  THE  FAIR  GOD 

they  went,  the  monarch  should  turn  the  very  walls 
into  witnesses  corroborant  of  the  traditions  of  the 
temple  and  the  weird  claims  of  its  keeper. 

Passing  the  kitchen,  and  descending  the  last 
flight  of  steps,  they  came  to  the  trap-door  in  the 
passage,  beside  which  lay  the  ladder  of  ropes. 

"Be  of  courage  a  little  longer,  O  king,"  said 
Mualox,  flinging  the  ladder  through  the  doorway. 
"We  are  almost  there." 

And  the  paba,  leaving  the  lamp  above,  com- 
mitted himself  confidently  to  the  ropes  and  dark- 
ness below.  A  suspicion  of  his  madness  occurred 
to  the  king,  whose  situation  called  for  considera- 
tion ;  in  fact,  he  hesitated  to  follow  farther ;  twice 
he  was  called  to ;  and  when,  finally,  he  did  go 
down,  the  secret  of  his  courage  was  an  idea  that 
they  were  about  to  emerge  from  the  dusty  cav- 
erns into  the  freer  air  of  day ;  for,  while  yet  in 
the  passage,  he  heard  the  whistle  of  a  bird,  and 
fancied  he  detected  a  fragrance  as  of  flowers. 

"  Your  hand  now,  O  king,  and  Mualox  will  lead 
you  into  his  world." 

The  motives  that  constrained  the  holy  man  to 
this  step  are  not  easily  divined.  Of  all  the  mys- 
teries of  the  house,  that  hall  was  by  him  the  most 
cherished ;  and  of  all  men  the  king  was  the  last 
whom  he  would  have  voluntarily  chosen  as  a  par- 
ticipant in  its  secrets,  since  he  alone  had  power  to 
break  them  up.  The  necessity  must  have  been 
very  great ;  possibly  he  felt  his  influence  and 
peculiar  character  dependent  upon  yielding  to 
the  pressure ;  the  moment  the  step  was  resolved 


THE  KING  DEMANDS  A  SIGN  OF  MUALOX    3°5 

upon,  however,  nothing  remained  but  to  use  the 
mysteries  for  the  protection  of  the  abode ;  and 
with  that  purpose  he  went  to  prepare  the  way. 

Much  study  would  most  of  us  have  required  to 
know  what  was  essential  to  the  purpose ;  not  so 
the  paba.  He  merely  trimmed  the  lamps  already 
lighted,  and  lighted  and  disposed  others.  His 
plan  was  to  overwhelm  the  visitor  by  the  first 
glance ;  without  warning,  without  time  to  study 
details,  to  flash  upon  him  a  crowd  of  impossibili- 
ties. In  the  mass,  the  generality,  the  whole  to- 
gether, a  god's  hand  was  to  be  made  apparent 
to  a  superstitious  fancy. 


THE    MASSACRE   IN    CHOLULA 

'NSIDE  the  hall,  scarcely  a  step  from 
0  the  curtain,  the  monarch  stopped  be- 
wildered ;  half  amazed,  half  alarmed, 
he  surveyed  the  chamber,  now  glow- 
ing as  with  day.  Flowers  blooming, 
birds  singing,  shrubbery,  thick  and 
green  as  in  his  own  garden.  Whence 
came  they  ?  how  were  they  nurtured  down  so  far  ? 
And  the  countless  subjects  painted  on  the  ceiling 
and  walls,  and  woven  in  colors  on  the  tapestry,  — 
surely  they  were  the  work  of  the  same  master  who 
had  wrought  so  marvelously  in  the  golden  cham- 
ber. The  extent  of  the  hall,  exaggerated  by  the 


THE   MASSACRE   IN   CHOLULA  307 

light,  impressed  him.  Filled  with  the  presence 
of  what  seemed  impossibilities,  he  cried  out,  — 

"  The  abode  of  Quetzal' !  " 

"No,"  answered  Mualox,  "not  his  abode,  only 
his  temple,  — the  temple  of  his  own  building." 

And  from  that  time  it  was  with  the  king  as  if 
the  god  were  actually  present. 

The  paba  read  the  effect  in  the  monarch's 
manner,  —  in  his  attitude,  in  the  softness  of  his 
tread,  in  the  cloudy,  saddened  expression  of  his 
countenance,  in  the  whisper  with  which  he  spoke ; 
he  read  it,  and  was  assured. 

"  This  way,  O  king !  Though  your  servant 
cannot  let  you  see  into  the  Sun,  or  give  you  the 
sign  required,  follow  him,  and  he  will  bring  you 
to  hear  of  events  in  Cholula  even  as  they  trans- 
pire. Remember,  however,  he  says  now  that  the 
Cholulans  and  the  twenty  thousand  warriors  will 
fail,  and  the  night  bring  you  but  sorrow  and 
repentance." 

Along  the  aisles  he  conducted  him,  until  they 
came  to  the  fountain,  where  the  monarch  stopped 
again.  The  light  there  was  brighter  than  in  the 
rest  of  the  hall.  A  number  of  birds  flew  up, 
scared  by  the  stranger ;  in  the  space  around  the 
marble  basin  stood  vases  crowned  with  flowers  ; 
the  floor  was  strewn  with  wreaths  and  garlands  ; 
the  water  sparkled  with  silvery  lustre ;  yet  all 
were  lost  on  the  wondering  guest,  who  saw  only 
Tecetl,  —  a  vision,  once  seen,  to  be  looked  at 
again  and  again. 

Upon  a  couch,  a  little  apart  from  the  fountain, 


308  THE   FAIR  GOD 

she  sat,  leaning  against  a  pile  of  cushions,  which 
was  covered  by  a  mantle  of  plnmaje.  Her  gar- 
ments were  white,  and  wholly  without  ornament ; 
her  hair  strayed  lightly  from  a  wreath  upon  her 
head ;  the  childish  hands  lay  clasped  in  her  lap ; 
upon  the  soft  mattress  rested  the  delicate  limbs, 
covered,  but  not  concealed,  the  soles  of  the  small 
feet  tinted  with  warmth  and  life,  like  the  pink 
and  rose  lining  of  certain  shells.  So  fragile,  inno- 
cent, and  beautiful  looked  she,  and  so  hushed 
and  motionless  withal,  —  so  like  a  spirituality,  — 
that  the  monarch's  quick  sensation  of  sympathy 
shot  through  his  heart  an  absolute  pain. 

"  Disturb  her  not ;  let  her  sleep,"  he  whis- 
pered, waving  his  hand. 

Mualox  smiled. 

"  Nay,  the  full  battle-cry  of  your  armies  would 
not  waken  her." 

The  influence  of  the  Will  was  upon  her, 
stronger  than  slumber.  Not  yet  was  she  to  see 
a  human  being  other  than  the  paba,  —  not  even 
the  great  king.  A  little  longer  was  she  to  be 
happy  in  ignorance  of  the  actual  world.  Ah, 
many,  many  are  the  victims  of  affection  unwise  in 
its  very  fullness ! 

Again  and  again  the  monarch  scanned  the 
girl's  face,  charmed,  yet  awed.  The  paba  had 
said  the  sleep  was  wakeless  ;  and  that  was  a 
mystery  unreported  by  tradition,  unknown  to  his 
philosophy,  and  rarer,  if  not  greater,  than  death. 
If  life  at  all,  what  kind  was  it  ?  The  longer  he 
looked  and  reflected,  the  lovelier  she  grew.  So 


THE   MASSACRE   IN   CHOLULA  309 

completely  was  his  credulity  gained  that  he 
thought  not  once  of  questioning  Mualox  about 
her ;  he  was  content  with  believing. 

The  paba,  meantime,  had  been  holding  one  of 
her  hands,  and  gazing  intently  in  her  face.  When 
he  looked  up,  the  monarch  was  startled  by  his 
appearance ;  his  air  was  imposing,  his  eyes  lighted 
with  the  mesmeric  force. 

"  Sit,  O  king,  and  give  ear.  Through  the 
lips  of  his  child,  Quetzal'  will  speak,  and  tell  you 
of  the  day  in  Cholula." 

He  spoke  imperiously,  and  the  monarch  obeyed. 
Then,  disturbed  only  by  the  chiming  of  the  foun- 
tain, and  sometimes  by  the  whistling  of  the  birds, 
Tecetl  began,  and  softly,  brokenly,  unconsciously 
told  of  the  massacre  in  the  holy  city  of  Cholula. 
Not  a  question  was  asked  her.  There  was  little 
prompting  aloud.  Much  did  the  king  marvel, 
never  once  doubted  he. 

"  The  sky  is  very  clear,"  said  Tecetl.  "  I  rise 
into  the  air ;  I  leave  the  city  in  the  lake,  and  the 
lake  itself  ;  now  the  mountains  are  below  me.  Lo, 
another  city !  I  descend  again  ;  the  azoteas  of  a 
temple  receives  me  ;  around  are  great  houses. 
Who  are  these  I  see  ?  There,  in  front  of  the 
temple,  they  stand,  in  lines  ;  even  in  the  shade 
their  garments  glisten.  They  have  shields  ;  some 
bear  long  lances,  some  sit  on  strange  animals  that 
have  eyes  of  fire  and  ring  the  pavement  with  their 
stamping." 

"  Does  the  king  understand  ? "  asked  Mualox. 

"  She  describes  the  strangers,"  was  the  reply. 


3io  THE  FAIR  GOD 

And  Tecetl  resumed.  "  There  is  one  standing 
in  the  midst  of  a  throng ;  he  speaks,  they  listen. 
I  cannot  repeat  his  words,  or  understand  them, 
for  they  are  not  like  ours.  Now  I  see  his  face, 
and  it  is  white ;  his  eyes  are  black,  and  his  cheeks 
bearded  ;  he  is  angry ;  he  points  to  the  city  around 
the  temple,  and  his  voice  grows  harsh,  and  his 
face  dark." 

The  king  approached  a  step,  and  whispered, 
"Malinche  ! " 

But  Mualox  replied  with  flashing  eyes,  "The 
servant  knows  his  god  ;  it  is  Quetzal' !  " 

"He  speaks,  I  listen,"  Tecetl  continued,  after 
a  rest,  and  thenceforth  her  sentences  were  given 
at  longer  intervals.  "  Now  he  is  through  ;  he 
waves  his  hand,  and  the  listeners  retire,  and  go 
to  different  quarters  ;  in  places  they  kindle  fires  ; 
the  gates  are  open,  and  some  station  themselves 
there." 

"  Named  she  where  this  is  happening  ?  "  asked 
Montezuma. 

"  She  describes  the  strangers  ;  and  are  they  not 
in  Cholula,  O  king  ?  She  also  spoke  of  the  azo- 
teas  of  a  temple  "  - 

"True,  true,"  replied  the  king  moodily.  "The 
preparations  must  be  going  on  in  the  square  of 
the  temple  in  which  Malinche  was  lodged  last 
night." 

Tecetl  continued.  "  And  now  I  look  down  the 
street ;  a  crowd  approaches  from  the  city  "  — 

"  Speak  of  them,"  said  Mualox.  "  I  would 
know  who  they  are." 


THE   MASSACRE   IN    CHOLULA  311 

"Most  of  them  wear  long  beards  and  robes, 
like  yours,  father,  —  robes  white  and  reaching 
to  their  feet ;  in  front  a  few  come,  swinging 
censers  "  — 

"They  are  pabas  from  the  temples,"  said 
Mualox. 

"  Behind  them  I  see  a  greater  crowd,"  she  con- 
tinued. "  How  stately  their  step  !  how  beautiful 
their  plumes !  " 

"  The  twenty  thousand !  the  army ! "  said 
Mualox. 

"No,  she  speaks  of  them  as  plumed.  They 
must  be  lords  and  caciques  going  to  the  temple." 
While  speaking,  the  monarch's  eyes  wandered 
restlessly,  and  he  sighed,  saying,  "  Where  can  the 
companies  be?  It  is  time  they  were  in  the  city." 

So  his  anxiety  betrayed  itself. 

Then  Mualox  said  grimly,  "  Hope  not,  O  king. 
The  priests  and  caciques  go  to  death  ;  the  army 
would  but  swell  the  flow  of  blood." 

Montezuma  clapped  his  hands,  and  drooped  his 
head. 

"Yet  more,"  said  Tecetl  almost  immediately; 
"  another  crowd  comes  on,  a  band  reaching  far 
down  the  street ;  they  are  naked,  and  come  with- 
out order,  bringing  "  - 

"The  tamanes"  said  Mualox,  without  looking 
from  her  face. 

"And  now,"  she  said,  "the  city  begins  to  stir. 
I  look,  and  on  the  housetops  and  temples  hosts 
collect  ;  from  all  the  towers  the  smoke  goes  up 
in  bluer  columns  ;  yet  all  is  still.  Those  who 


312  THE   FAIR   GOD 

carry  the  censers  come  near  the  gate  below  me  ; 
now  they  are  within  it ;  the  plumed  train  follows 
them,  and  the  square  begins  to  fill.  Back  by  the 
great  door,  on  one  of  the  animals,  the  god  " 

"Quetzal',"  muttered  Mualox. 

"A  company,  glistening,  surrounds  him;  his 
face  seems  whiter  than  before,  his  eyes  darker ;  a 
shield  is  on  his  arm,  white  plumes  toss  above  his 
head.  The  censer-bearers  cross  the  square,  and 
the  air  thickens  with  a  sweet  perfume.  Now  he 
speaks  to  them ;  his  voice  is  harsh  and  high ; 
they  are  frightened ;  some  kneel,  and  begin  to 
pray  as  to  a  god  ;  others  turn  and  start  quickly 
for  the  gate." 

"  Take  heed,  take  heed,  O  king !  "  said  Mualox, 
his  eyes  aflame. 

And  Montezuma  answered,  trembling  with  fear 
and  rage,  "  Has  Anahuac  no  gods  to  care  for  her 
children?" 

"  What  can  they  against  the  Supreme  Que- 
tzal' ?  It  is  a  trial  of  power.  The  end  is  at 
hand  ! " 

Never  man  spoke  more  confidently  than  the 
paba. 

By  this  time  Tecetl's  face  was  flushed,  and  her 
voice  faint.  Mualox  filled  the  hollow  of  his  hand 
with  water,  and  laved  her  forehead.  And  she 
sighed  wearily  and  continued,  — 

"  The  fair-faced  god  "  - 

"  Mark  the  words,  O  king,  —  mark  the  words  !  " 
said  the  paba. 

"  The  fair-faced  god  quits  speaking ;  he  waves 


THE   MASSACRE    IN   CHOLULA  313 

his  hand,  and  one  of  his  company  on  the  steps  of 
the  temple  answers  with  a  shout.  Lo  !  a  stream 
of  fire,  and  a  noise  like  the  bursting  of  a  cloud !  a 
rising,  rolling  cloud  of  smoke  veils  the  whole 
front  of  the  house.  How  the  smoke  thickens! 
How  the  strangers  rush  into  the  square  !  The 
square  itself  trembles !  I  do  not  understand  it, 
father  "  — 

"It  is  battle!  On,  child!  a  king  waits  to  see 
a  god  in  battle." 

"  In  my  pictures  there  is  nothing  like  this,  nor 
have  you  told  me  of  anything  like  it.  Oh,  it  is  fear- 
ful !  "  she  said.  "  The  crowd  in  the  middle  of  the 
square,  those  who  came  from  the  city,  are  broken, 
and  rush  here  and  there ;  at  the  gates  they  are 
beaten  back  ;  some,  climbing  the  walls,  are  struck 
by  arrows,  and  fall  down  screaming.  Hark !  how 
they  call  on  the  gods,  —  Huitzn",  Tezca',  Quetzal'. 
And  why  are  they  not  heard  ?  Where,  father, 
where  is  the  good  Quetzal'  ?  " 

Flashed  the  paba's  eyes  with  the  superhuman 
light,  —  other  answer  he  deigned  not ;  and  she 
proceeded. 

"What*  a  change  has  come  over  the  square! 
Where  are  they  that  a  while  ago  filled  it  with 
white  robes  and  dancing  plumes  ?  " 

She  shuddered  visibly. 

"  I  look  again.  The  pavement  is  covered  with 
heaps  of  the  fallen,  and  among  them  I  see  some 
with  plumes  and  some  with  robes  ;  even  the  cen- 
ser-bearers lie  still.  What  can  it  mean  ?  And 
all  the  time  the  horror  grows.  When  the  thunder 


314  THE   FAIR   GOD 

and  fire  and  smoke  burst  from  near  the  temple- 
steps,  how  the  helpless  in  the  square  shriek  with 
terror  and  run  blindly  about !  How  many  are 
torn  to  pieces  !  Down  they  go  ;  I  cannot  count 
them,  they  fall  so  fast,  and  in  such  heaps !  Then 
—  ah,  the  pavement  looks  red  !  Oh,  father,  it  is 
blood ! " 

She  stopped.  Montezuma  covered  his  face  with 
his  hands ;  the  good  heart  that  so  loved  his  peo- 
ple sickened  at  their  slaughter. 

Again  Mualox  bathed  her  face.  Joy  flamed  in 
his  eyes ;  Quetzal'  was  consummating  his  ven- 
geance, and  confirming  the  prophecies  of  his 
servant. 

"  Go  on  ;  stay  not !  "  he  said  sternly.  "  The 
story  is  not  told." 

"  Still  the  running  to  and  fro,  and  the  scream- 
ing ;  still  the  fire  flashing,  and  the  smoke  rising, 
and  the  hissing  of  arrows  and  sound  of  blows ; 
still  the  prayers  to  Huitzil'!"  said  Tecetl.  "I 
look  down,  and  under  the  smoke,  which  has  a 
choking  smell,  I  see  the  fallen.  Red  pools  gather 
in  the  hollow  places,  plumes  are  broken,  and  robes 
are  no  longer  white.  Oh,  the  piteous  looks  I  see, 
the  moans  I  hear,  the  many  faces,  brown  like 
oak-leaves  faded,  turned  stilly  up  to  the  sun !  " 

"The  people  of  the  god,  — tell  of  them,"  said 
Mualox. 

"  I  search  for  them,  —  I  see  them  on  the  steps 
and  out  by  the  walls  and  the  gates.  They  are  all 
in  their  places  yet  ;  not  one  of  them  is  down  ; 
theirs  the  arrows,  and  the  fire  and  thunder." 


THE    MASSACRE    IN   CHOLULA  315 

"  Does  the  king  hear  ? "  asked  Mualox.  "  Only 
the  pabas  and  caciques  perish.  Who  may  pre- 
sume to  oppose  Quetzal"  ?  Look  further,  child. 
Tell  us  of  the  city." 

"  Gladly,  most  gladly !  Now,  abroad  over  the 
city.  The  people  quit  the  housetops ;  they  run 
from  all  directions  to  the  troubled  temple ;  they 
crowd  the  streets ;  about  the  gates,  where  the 
gods  are,  they  struggle  to  get  into  the  square, 
and  the  air  thickens  with  their  arrows.  The 
god  "  • 

"What  god?"  asked  Mualox. 

"The  white-plumed  one." 

"  Quetzal' !     Go  on  !  " 

"  He  has  "  -        She  faltered. 

"What?" 

"  In  my  pictures,  father,  there  is  nothing  like 
them.  Fire  leaps  from  their  mouths,  and  smoke, 
and  the  air  and  earth  tremble  when  they  speak ; 
and  see  —  ah,  how  the  crowds  in  the  streets  go 
down  before  them  !  " 

Again  she  shuddered,  and  faltered. 

"Hear,  O  king!"  said  Mualox,  who  not  only 
recognized  the  cannon  of  the  Spaniards  in  the 
description,  but  saw  their  weight  at  that  moment 
as  an  argument.  "  What  can  the  slingers,  and 
the  spearmen  of  Chinantla,  and  the  swordsmen 
of  Tenochtitlan,  against  warriors  of  the  Sun,  with 
their  lightning  and  thunder !  " 

And  he  looked  at  the  monarch,  sitting  with 
his  face  covered,  and  was  satisfied.  With  facul- 
ties sharpened  by  a  zeal  too  fervid  for  sympathy, 


316  THE   FAIR   GOD 

he  saw  the  fears  of  the  proud  but  kindly  soul, 
and  rejoiced  in  them.  Yet  he  permitted  no  delay. 

"  Go  on,  child  !  Look  for  the  fair-faced  god  ; 
he  holds  the  battle  in  his  hand." 

"  I  see  him,  —  I  see  his  white  plumes  nodding 
in  a  group  of  spears.  Now  he  is  at  the  main  gate 
of  the  temple,  and  speaks.  Hark  !  The  earth  is 
shaken  by  another  roar,  —  from  the  street  another 
great  cry ;  and  through  the  smoke,  out  of  the 
gate,  he  leads  his  band.  And  the  animals,  — 
what  shall  I  call  them  ?  " 

"  Tell  us  of  the  god  ! "  replied  the  enthusiast, 
himself  ignorant  of  the  name  and  nature  of  the 
horse. 

"  Well,  well,  —  they  run  like  deer ;  on  them 
the  god  and  his  comrades  plunge  into  the  masses 
in  the  street ;  beating  back  and  pursuing,  striking 
with  their  spears,  and  trampling  down  all  in  their 
way.  Stones  and  arrows  are  flung  from  the 
houses,  but  they  avail  nothing.  The  god  shouts 
joyously,  he  plunges  on  ;  and  the  blood  flows 
faster  than  before ;  it  reddens  the  shields,  it 
drips  from  the  spear-points"  — 

"  Enough,  Mualox  !  "  said  Montezuma,  starting 
from  his  seat,  and  speaking  firmly.  "  I  want  no 
more.  Guide  me  hence  !  " 

The  paba  was  surprised ;  rising  slowly,  he 
asked,  — 

"  Will  not  the  king  stay  to  the  end  ?  " 

"  Stay  !  "  repeated  the  monarch,  with  curling 
lip.  "  Are  my  people  of  Cholula  wolves  that  I 
should  be  glad  at  their  slaughter  ?  It  is  murder, 


THE   MASSACRE   IN   CHOLULA  31? 

massacre,  not  battle!  Show  me  to  the  roof 
again.  Come !  " 

Mualox  turned  to  Tecetl ;  touching  her  hand, 
he  found  it  cold ;  the  sunken  eyes,  and  the  lips, 
vermeil  no  longer,  admonished  him  of  the  delicacy 
of  her  spirit  and  body.  He  filled  a  vase  at  the 
fountain,  and  laved  her  face,  the  while  soothingly 
repeating,  "  Tecetl,  Tecetl,  child  ! "  Some  minutes 
were  thus  devoted  ;  then  kissing  her,  and  repla- 
cing the  hand  tenderly  in  the  other  lying  in  her 
lap,  he  said  to  the  monarch,  — 

"  Until  to-day,  O  king,  this  sacredness  has  been 
sealed  from  the  generations  that  forsook  the  reli- 
gion of  Quetzal'.  Eye  of  mocker  has  not  seen, 
nor  foot  of  unbeliever  trod  this  purlieu,  the  last 
to  receive  his  blessing.  You  alone  —  I  am  of  the 
god  —  you  alone  can  go  abroad  knowing  what  is 
here.  Never  before  were  you  so  nearly  face  to 
face  with  the  Ruler  of  the  Winds  !  And  now, 
with  what  force  a  servant  may,  I  charge  you,  by 
the  glory  of  the  Sun,  respect  this  house ;  and 
when  you  think  of  it,  or  of  what  here  you  have 
seen,  be  it  as  friend,  lover,  and  worshiper.  If 
the  king  will  follow  me,  I  am  ready." 

"  I  am  neither  mocker  nor  unbeliever.  Lead 
on,"  replied  Montezuma. 

And  after  that,  the  king  paid  no  attention  to 
the  chamber;  he  moved  along  the  aisles  too 
unhappy  to  be  curious.  The  twenty  thousand 
warriors  had  not  been  mentioned  by  Tecetl ;  they 
had  not,  it  would  seem,  entered  the  city  or  the 
battle,  so  there  was  a  chance  of  the  victory ;  yet 


318  THE   FAIR   GOD 

was  he  hopeless,  for  never  a  doubt  had  he  of  her 
story.  Wherefore,  his  lamentation  was  twofold,  — 
for  his  people  and  for  himself. 

And  Mualox  was  silent  as  the  king,  though  for 
a  different  cause.  To  him,  suddenly,  the  object 
of  his  life  put  on  the  garb  of  quick  possibility. 
Quetzal',  he  was  sure,  would  fill  the  streets  of 
Cholula  with  the  dead,  and  crown  his  wrath  amid 
the  ruins  of  the  city.  In  the  face  of  example  so 
dreadful,  none  would  dare  oppose  him,  not  even 
Montezuma,  whose  pride  broken  was  next  to  his 
faith  gained.  And  around  the  new-born  hope,  as 
cherubs  around  the  Madonna,  rustled  the  wings  of 
fancies  most  exalted.  He  saw  the  supremacy  of 
Quetzal'  acknowledged  above  all  others,  the  Cu 
restored  to  its  first  glory,  and  the  silent  cells 
repeopled.  O  happy  day !  Already  he  heard  the 
courtyard  resounding  with  solemn  chants  as  of 
old;  and  before  the  altar,  in  the  presence-cham- 
ber, from  morn  till  night  he  stood,  receiving  offer- 
ings, and  dispensing  blessings  to  the  worshipers 
who,  with  a  faith  equal  to  his  own,  believed  the 
ancient  image  the  ONE  SUPREME  GOD. 

At  the  head  of  the  eastern  steps  of  the  temple, 
as  the  king  began  the  descent,  the  holy  man  knelt, 
and  said,  — 

"  For  peace  to  his  people  let  the  wise  Monte- 
zuma look  to  Quetzal'.  Mualox  gives  him  his 
blessing.  Farewell." 


VI 


THE    CONQUEROR    WILL   COME 

FEW  weeks  more, — weeks  of 
pain,  vacillation,  embassies,  and 
distracted  councils  to  Montezuma ; 
of  doubt  and  anxiety  to  the  nobles  ; 
of  sacrifice  and  ceremonies  by  the 
priests ;  of  fear  and  wonder  to  the  people.  In 
that  time,  if  never  before,  the  Spaniards  became 
the  one  subject  of  discourse  throughout  Anahuac. 
In  the  tianguez,  merchants  bargaining  paused  to 
interchange  opinions  about  them  ;  craftsmen  in  the 
shops  entertained  and  frightened  each  other  with 


320  THE    FAIR   GOD 

stories  of  their  marvelous  strength  and  ferocity ; 
porters,  bending  under  burdens,  speculated  on 
their  character  and  mission ;  and  never  a  water- 
man passed  an  acquaintance  on  the  lake,  without 
lingering  awhile  to  ask  or  give  the  latest  news 
from  the  Holy  City,  which,  with  the  best  grace  it 
could,  still  entertained  its  scourgers. 

What  Malinche  —  for  by  that  name  Cortes  was 
now  universally  known  —  would  do  was  the  first 
conjecture ;  what  the  great  king  intended  was  the 
next. 

As  a  matter  of  policy,  the  dismal  massacre  in 
Cholula  accomplished  all  Cortes  proposed  ;  it  made 
him  a  national  terror ;  it  smoothed  the  causeway 
for  his  march,  and  held  the  gates  of  Xoloc  open 
for  peaceful  entry  into  Tenochtitlan.  Yet  the 
question  on  the  many  tongues  was,  Would  he 
come  ? 

And  he  himself  answered.  One  day  a  cou- 
rier ran  up  the  great  street  of  Tenochtitlan  to 
the  king's  palace ;  immediately  the  portal  was 
thronged  by  anxious  citizens.  That  morning  Ma- 
linche began  his  march  to  the  capital,  —  he  was 
coming,  was  actually  on  the  way.  The  thousands 
trembled  as  they  heard  the  news. 

After  that  the  city  was  not  an  hour  without 
messengers  reporting  the  progress  of  the  Span- 
iards, whose  every  step  and  halt  and  camping- 
place  was  watched  with  the  distrust  of  fear  and 
the  sleeplessness  of  jealousy.  The  horsemen  and 
footmen  were  all  numbered ;  the  personal  appear- 
ance of  each  leader  was  painted  over  and  over 


THE   CONQUEROR   WILL   COME  321 

again  with  brush  and  tongue ;  the  devices  on  the 
shields  and  pennons  were  described  with  heraldic 
accuracy.  And  though,  from  long  service  and 
constant  exposure  and  repeated  battles,  the  equip- 
ments of  the  adventurers  had  lost  the  freshness 
that  belonged  to  them  the  day  of  the  departure 
from  Cuba ;  though  plumes  and  scarfs  were  stained, 
and  casques  and  breastplates  tarnished,  and  good 
steeds  tamed  by  strange  fare  and  wearisome 
marches,  nevertheless  the  accounts  that  went 
abroad  concerning  them  were  sufficiently  splen- 
did and  terrible  to  confirm  the  prophecies  by 
which  they  were  preceded. 

And  the  people,  made  swift  by  alarm  and  curi- 
osity, outmarched  Cortes  many  days.  Before  he 
reached  Iztapalapan,  the  capital  was  full  of  them  ; 
in  multitudes,  lords  and  slaves,  men,  women,  and 
children,  like  Jews  to  the  Passover,  scaled  the 
mountains,  and  hurried  through  the  valley  and 
across  the  lakes.  Better  opportunity  to  study  the 
characteristics  of  the  tribes  was  never  afforded. 

All  day  and  night  the  public  resorts  —  streets, 
houses,  temples  —  were  burdened  with  the  multi- 
tude, whose  fear,  as  the  hour  of  entry  drew  nigh, 
yielded  to  their  curiosity.  And  when,  at  last,  the 
road  the  visitors  would  come  by  was  settled, 
the  whole  city  seemed  to  breathe  easier.  From 
the  village  of  Iscalpan,  so  ran  the  word,  they  had 
boldly  plunged  into  the  passes  of  the  Sierra,  and 
thence  taken  the  directest  route  by  way  of  Tlal- 
manalco.  And  now  they  were  at  Ayotzinco,  a 
town  on  the  eastern  shore  of  lake  Tezcuco;  to- 


322  THE    FAIR   GOD 

morrow  they  would  reach  Iztapalapan,  and  then 
Tenochtitlan.  Not  a  long  time  to  wait,  if  they 
brought  the  vengeance  of  Quetzal' ;  yet  thousands 
took  canoes,  and  crossed  to  the  village,  and,  catch- 
ing the  first  view,  hurried  back,  each  with  a  fancy 
more  than  ever  inflamed. 

A  soldier,  sauntering  down  the  street,  is  beset 
with  citizens. 

"A  pleasant  day,  O  son  of  Huitzil'!  " 

"  A  pleasant  day ;  may  all  that  shine  on  Tenoch- 
titlan be  like  it !  "  he  answers. 

"What  news ? " 

"I  have  been  to  the  temple." 

"  And  what  says  the  teotuctli  now  ? " 

"  Nothing.  There  are  no  signs.  Like  the  stars, 
the  hearts  of  the  victims  will  not  answer." 

"  What !     Did  not  Huitzil'  speak  last  night  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes  !  "  And  the  warrior  smiles  with  satis- 
faction. "  Last  night  he  bade  the  priests  tell  the 
king  not  to  oppose  the  entry  of  Malinche." 

"  Then  what  ? " 

"  Why,  here  in  the  city  he  would  cut  the  stran- 
gers off  to  the  last  one." 

And  all  the  citizens  cry  in  chorus,  "Praised 
be  Huitzil' ! " 

Farther  on  the  warrior  overtakes  a  comrade  in 
arms. 

"Are  we  to  take  our  shields  to  the  field,  O  my 
brother  ? "  he  asks. 

"All  is  peaceful  yet,  — nothing  but  embassies." 

"Is  it  true  that  the  lord  Cacama  is  to  go  in 
state,  and  invite  Malinche  to  Tenochtitlan  ? " 


THE   CONQUEROR    WILL   COME  323 

"  He  sets  out  to-day." 

"  Ha,  ha !  Of  all  voices  for  war,  his  was  the 
loudest.  Where  caught  he  the  merchant's  cry  for 
peace  ? " 

"In  the  temples  ;  it  may  be  from  Huitzil'." 

The  answer  is  given  in  a  low  voice,  and  with  an 
ironic  laugh. 

"  Well,  well,  comrade,  there  are  but  two  lords 
fit,  in  time  like  this,  for  the  love  of  warriors,  — 
Cuitlahua  and  Guatamozin.  They  still  talk  of  war." 

"Cuitlahua,  Cuitlahua!"  And  the  laugh  rises 
to  boisterous  contempt.  "  Why,  he  has  consented 
to  receive  Malinche  in  Iztapalapan,  and  entertain 
him  with  a  banquet  in  his  palace.  He  has  gone 
for  that  purpose  now.  The  lord  of  Cojohuaca  is 
with  him." 

"Then  we  have  only  the  'tzin  !  " 

The  fellow  sighs  like  one  sincerely  grieved. 

"  Only  the  'tzin,  brother,  only  the  'tzin  !  and  he 
is  banished!  " 

They  shake  their  heads,  and  look  what  they 
dare  not  speak,  and  go  their  ways.  The  gloom 
they  take  with  them  is  a  sample  of  that  which 
rests  over  the  whole  valley. 

When  the  Spaniards  reached  Iztapalapan,  the 
excitement  in  the  capital  became  irrepressible. 
The  cities  were  but  an  easy  march  apart,  most  of 
it  along  the  causeway.  The  going  and  coming 
may  be  imagined.  The  miles  of  dike  were  covered 
by  a  continuous  procession,  while  the  lake,  in  a 
broad  line  from  town  to  town,  was  darkened  by 
canoes.  Cortes'  progress  through  the  streets  of 


324  THE    FAIR   GOD 

Iztapalapan  was  antitypical  of  the  grander  recep- 
tion awaiting  him  in  Tenochtitlan. 

In  the  latter  city  there  was  no  sleep  that  night. 
The  tianguez  in  particular  was  densely  filled,  not 
by  traders,  but  by  a  mass  of  newsmongers,  who 
hardly  knew  whether  they  were  most  pleased  or 
alarmed.  The  general  neglect  of  business  had 
exceptions  ;  at  least  one  portico  shone  with  un- 
usual brilliancy  till  morning.  Every  great  mer- 
chant is  a  philosopher  ;  in  the  midst  of  calamities, 
he  is  serene,  because  it  is  profit's  time  ;  before  the 
famine,  he  buys  up  all  the  corn ;  in  forethought 
of  pestilence,  he  secures  all  the  medicine  :  and  the 
world,  counting  his  gains,  says  delightedly,  What 
a  wise  man !  I  will  not  say  the  Chalcan  was  of 
that  honored  class ;  he  thought  himself  a  bene- 
factor, and  was  happy  to  accommodate  the  lords, 
and  help  them  divide  their  time  between  his  palace 
and  that  of  the  king.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to 
add,  that  his  apartments  were  well  patronized, 
though,  in  truth,  his  pulque  was  in  greater  demand 
than  his  choclatl. 

The  drinking-chamber,  about  the  close  of  the 
third  quarter  of  the  night,  presented  a  lively 
picture.  For  the  convenience  of  the  many  patrons, 
tables  from  other  rooms  had  been  brought  in. 
Some  of  the  older  lords  were  far  gone  in  intoxica- 
tion ;  slaves  darted  to  and  fro,  removing  goblets, 
or  bringing  them  back  replenished.  A  few  min- 
strels found  listeners  among  those  who  happened 
to  be  too  stupid  to  talk,  though  not  too  sleepy  to 
drink.  Every  little  while  a  newcomer  would  enter, 


THE   CONQUEROR    WILL   COME  325 

when,  if  he  were  from  Iztapalapan,  a  crowd  would 
surround  him,  allowing  neither  rest  nor  refresh- 
ment until  he  had  told  the  things  he  had  seen  or 
heard.  Amongst  others,  Hualpa  and  Io'  chanced 
to  find  their  way  thither.  Maxtla,  seated  at  a 
table  with  some  friends,  including  the  Chalcan, 
called  them  to  him ;  and,  as  they  had  attended 
the  banquet  of  the  lord  Cuitlahua,  they  were 
quickly  provided  with  seats,  goblets,  and  an 
audience  of  eager  listeners. 

"  Certainly,  my  good  chief,  I  have  seen  Ma- 
linche,  and  passed  the  afternoon  looking  at  him 
and  his  people,"  said  Hualpa  to  Maxtla.  "  It  may 
be  that  I  am  too  much  influenced  by  the  'tzin  to 
judge  them ;  but,  if  they  are  teules,  so  are  we. 
I  longed  to  try  my  javelin  on  them." 

"Was  their  behavior  unseemly  ? " 

"Call  it  as  you  please.  I  was  in  the  train 
when,  after  the  banquet,  the  lord  Cuitlahua  took 
them  to  see  his  gardens.  As  they  strode  the 
walks,  and  snuffed  the  flowers,  and  plucked  the 
fruit ;  as  they  moved  along  the  canal  with  its  lining 
of  stone,  and  stopped  to  drink  at  the  fountains,  —  I 
was  made  feel  that  they  thought  everything  — 
not  merely  my  lord's  property,  but  my  lord  him- 
self —  belonged  to  them ;  they  said  as  much  by 
their  looks  and  actions,  by  their  insolent  swagger." 

"  Was  the  'tzin  there  ? " 

"  From  the  azoteas  of  a  temple  he  saw  them 
enter  the  city ;  but  he  was  not  at  the  banquet. 
I  heard  a  story  showing  how  he  would  treat  the 
strangers,  if  he  had  the  power.  One  of  their 


3*6  THE    FAIR    GOD 

priests,  out  with  a  party,  came  to  the  temple 
where  he  happened  to  be,  and  went  up  to  the 
tower.  In  the  sanctuary  one  of  them  raised  his 
spear  and  struck  the  image  of  the  god.  The  pabas 
threw  up  their  hands  and  shrieked  ;  he  rushed 
upon  the  impious  wretch,  and  carried  him  to  the 
sacrificial  stone,  stretched  him  out,  and  called  to 
the  pabas,  '  Come,  the  victim  is  ready ! '  When 
the  other  teules  would  have  attacked  him,  he 
offered  to  fight  them  all.  The  strange  priest  in- 
terfered, and  they  departed." 

The  applause  of  the  bystanders  was  loud  and 
protracted ;  when  it  had  somewhat  abated,  Xoli, 
whose  thoughts,  from  habit,  ran  chiefly  upon  the 
edibles,  said,  — 

"  My  lord  Cuitlahua  is  a  giver  of  good  suppers. 
Pray,  tell  us  about  the  courses  " 

"  Peace  !  be  still,  Chalcan  !  "  cried  Maxtla, 
angrily.  "What  care  we  whether  Malinche  ate 
wolf-meat  or  quail  ?  " 

Xoli  bowed  ;  the  lords  laughed. 

Then  a  gray-haired  cacique  behind  Io'  asked, 
"Tell  us  rather  what  Malinche  said." 

Hualpa  shook  his  head.  "The  conversation 
was  tedious.  Everything  was  said  through  an 
interpreter,  —  a  woman  born  in  the  province  Pai- 
nalla  ;  so  I  paid  little  attention.  I  recollect,  how- 
ever, he  asked  many  questions  about  the  great 
king,  and  about  the  Empire,  and  Tenochtitlan. 
He  said  his  master,  the  governor  of  the  universe, 
had  sent  him  here.  He  gave  much  time,  also,  to 
explaining  his  religion.  I  might  have  understood 


^ 


THE   CONQUEROR   WILL   COME  327 

him,  uncle,  but  my  ears  were  too  full  of  the  rattle 
of  arms." 

"  What !  Sat  they  at  the  table  armed  ?  "  asked 
Maxtla. 

"All  of  them  ;  even  Malinche." 

"That  was  not  the  worst,"  said  Io'  earnestly. 
"At  the  same  table  my  lord  Cuitlahua  entertained 
a  band  of  beggarly  Tlascalan  chiefs.  Sooner 
should  my  tongue  have  been  torn  out  !  " 

The  bystanders  made  haste  to  approve  the 
sentiment,  and  for  a  time  it  diverted  the  conversa- 
tion. Meanwhile,  at  Hualpa's  order,  the  goblets 
were  refilled. 

"Dares  the  noble  Maxtla,"  he  then  asked,  "tell 
what  the  king  will  do  ? " 

"  The  question  is  very  broad."  And  the  chief 
smiled.  "  What  special  information  does  my  com- 
rade seek  ? " 

"  Can  you  tell  us  when  Malinche  will  enter 
Tenochtitlan  ? " 

"Certainly.  Xoli  published  that  in  the  tian- 
guez  before  the  sun  was  up." 

"  To  be  sure,"  answered  the  Chalcan.  "  The 
lord  Maxtla  knows  the  news  cost  me  a  bowl  of 
piilque" 

There  was  much  laughter,  in  which  the  chief 
joined.  Then  he  said  gravely,  — 

"The  king  has  arranged  everything.  As  ad- 
vised by  the  gods,  Malinche  enters  Tenochtitlan 
day  after  to-morrow.  He  will  leave  Iztapalapan 
at  sunrise,  and  march  to  the  causeway  by  the 
lake  shore.  Cuitlahua,  with  Cacama,  the  lord  of 


328  THE   FAIR   GOD 

Tecuba,  and  others  of  like  importance,  will  meet 
him  at  Xoloc.  The  king  will  follow  them  in  state. 
As  to  the  procession,  I  will  only  say  it  were  ill  to 
lose  the  sight.  Such  splendor  was  never  seen  on 
the  causeway." 

Ordinarily  the  mention  of  such  a  prospect 
would  have  kindled  the  liveliest  enthusiasm  ;  for 
the  Aztecs  were  lovers  of  spectacles,  and  never 
so  glad  as  when  the  great  green  banner  of  the 
Empire  was  brought  forth  to  shed  its  solemn 
beauty  over  the  legions,  and  along  the  storied 
street  of  Tenochtitlan.  Much,  therefore,  was 
Maxtla  surprised  at  the  coldness  that  fell  upon 
the  company. 

"  Ho,  friends !  One  would  think  the  reception 
not  much  to  your  liking,"  he  said. 

"  We  are  the  king's,  —  dust  under  his  feet,  — 
and  it  is  not  for  us  to  murmur,"  said  a  sturdy 
cacique,  first  to  break  the  disagreeable  silence. 
"  Yet  our  fathers  gave  their  enemies  bolts  instead 
of  banquets." 

"  Who  may  disobey  the  gods  ? "  asked  Maxtla. 

The  argument  was  not  more  sententious  than 
unanswerable. 

"  Well,  well ! "  said  Hualpa.  "  I  will  get  ready. 
Advise  me,  good  chief:  had  I  better  take  a 
canoe  ?  " 

"  The  procession  will  doubtless  be  better  seen 
from  the  lake  ;  but  to  hear  what  passes  between 
the  king  and  Malinche,  you  should  be  in  the 
train.  By  the  way,  will  the  'tzin  be  present  ? " 

"  As  the  king  may  order,"  replied  Hualpa. 


THE   CONQUEROR   WILL   COME  329 

Maxtla  threw  back  his  look,  and  said  with 
enthusiasm,  real  or  affected,  "  Much  would  I  like 
to  see  and  hear  him  when  the  Tlascalans  come 
flying  their  banners  into  the  city !  How  he  will 
flame  with  wrath  !  " 

Then  Hualpa  considerately  changed  the  direc- 
tion of  the  discourse. 

"  Malinche  will  be  a  troublesome  guest,  if  only 
from  the  number  of  his  following.  Will  he  be 
lodged  in  one  of  the  temples  ?  " 

"A  temple,  indeed  !  "  And  Maxtla  laughed 
scornfully.  "  A  temple  would  be  fitter  lodging 
for  the  gods  of  Mictlan !  At  Cempoalla,  you 
recollect,  the  teules  threw  down  the  sacred  gods, 
and  butchered  the  pabas  at  the  altars.  Lest  they 
'should  desecrate  a  holy  house  here,  they  are  as- 
signed to  the  old  palace  of  Axaya'.  To-morrow 
the  tamanes  will  put  it  in  order." 

Io'  then  asked,  "  Is  it  known  how  long  they 
will  stay  ? " 

Maxtla  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  drank  his 
pulque. 

"  Hist !  "  whistled  a  cacique.  "  That  is  what 
the  king  would  give  half  his  kingdom  to  know !  " 

"And  why?"  asked  the  boy,  reddening.  "Is 
he  not  master  ?  Does  it  not  depend  upon  him  ?  " 

"  It  depends  upon  no  other ! "  cried  Maxtla, 
dashing  his  palm  upon  the  table  until  the  gob- 
lets danced.  "  By  the  holy  gods,  he  has  but  to 
speak  the  word,  and  these  guests  will  turn  to  vic- 
tims ! " 

And  Hualpa,  surprised  at  the  display  of  spirit, 


330  THE  FAIR  GOD 

seconded  the  chief  :  "  Brave  words,  O  my  lord 
Maxtla !  They  give  us  hope." 

"  He  will  treat  them  graciously,"  Maxtla  con- 
tinued, "  because  they  come  by  his  request  ;  but 
when  he  tells  them  to  depart,  if  they  obey  not,  — 
if  they  obey  not,  —  when  was  his  vengeance  other 
than  a  king's  ?  Who  dares  say  he  cannot,  by  a 
word,  end  this  visit  ?  " 

"  No  one  !  "  cried  Io'. 

"  Ay,  no  one !  But  the  goblets  are  empty. 
See !  Io',  good  prince,"  —  and  Maxtla's  voice 
changed  at  once,  —  "  would  another  draught  be 
too  much  for  us  ?  We  drink  slowly ;  one  more, 
only  one.  And  while  we  drink,  we  will  forget 
Malinche." 

"Would  that  were  possible  !  "  sighed  the  boy. 

They  sent  up  the  goblets,  and  continued  the 
session  until  daylight. 


VII 


MONTEZUMA   GOES   TO   MEET   CORTES 

|A.ME  the  eighth  of  November, 
which  no  Spaniard,  himself  a  Con- 
quistador, can  ever  forget ;  that  day 
Cortes  entered  Tenochtitlan. 

The  morning  dawned  over  Ana- 
huac  as  sometimes  it  dawns  over 
the  Bay  of  Naples,  bringing  an  azure  haze  in 
which  the  world  seemed  set  afloat. 

"  Look  you,  uncles,"  said  Montezuma,  yet  at 
breakfast,  and  speaking  to  his  councilors,  "they 
are  to  go  before  me,  my  heralds ;  and  as  Malin- 
che  is  the  servant  of  a  king,  and  used  to  courtly 
styles,  I  would  not  have  them  shame  me.  Admit 
them  with  the  neqtien  off.  As  they  will  appear 
before  him,  let  them  come  to  me." 

And  thereupon  four  nobles  were  ushered  in, 
full-armed,  even  to  the  shield.  Their  helms  were 
of  glittering  silver ;  their  escaupiles,  or  tunics  of 
quilted  mail,  were  stained  vivid  green,  and  at  the 
neck  and  borders  sparkled  with  pearls  ;  over  their 
shoulders  hung  graceful  mantles  of  plumaje,  softer 


332  THE    FAIR   GOD 

than  cramoisy  velvet  ;  upon  their  breasts  blazed 
decorations  and  military  insignia  ;  from  wrist  to 
elbow,  and  from  knee  to  sandal-strap,  their  arms 
and  legs  were  sheathed  in  scales  of  gold.  And 
so,  ready  for  peaceful  show  or  mortal  combat,  — 
his  heroes  and  ambassadors,  —  they  bided  the 
monarch's  careful  review. 

"  Health  to  you,  my  brothers  !  and  to  you,  my 
children  !  "  he  said  with  satisfaction.  "  What  of 
the  morning  ?  How  looks  the  sun  ?  " 

"  Like  the  beginning  of  a  great  day,  O  king, 
which  we  pray  may  end  happily  for  you,"  replied 
Cuitlahua. 

"  It  is  the  work  of  Huitzil'  ;  doubt  not !  I  have 
called  you,  O  my  children,  to  see  how  well  my 
fame  will  be  maintained.  I  wish  to  show  Malin- 
che  a  power  and  beauty  such  as  he  has  never 
seen,  unless  he  come  from  the  Sun  itself.  Earth 
has  but  one  valley  of  Anahuac,  one  city  of  Te- 
nochtitlan  :  so  he  shall  acknowledge.  Have  you 
directed  his  march  as  I  ordered  ? " 

And  Cacama  replied,  "  Through  the  towns  and 
gardens,  he  is  to  follow  the  shore  of  the  lake  to 
the  great  causeway.  By  this  time  he  is  on  the 
road." 

Then  Montezuma's  face  flushed ;  and,  lifting 
his  head  as  it  were  to  look  at  objects  afar  off,  he 
said  aloud,  yet  like  one  talking  to  himself,  — 

"  He  is  a  lover  of  gold,  and  has  been  heard 
speak  of  cities  and  temples  and  armies;  of  his 
people  numberless  as  the  sands.  Oh,  if  he  be  a 
man,  with  human  weaknesses,  —  if  he  has  hope, 


MONTEZUMA  GOES  TO  MEET  CORTES   333 

or  folly  of  thought,  to  make  him  less  than  a  god, 
—  ere  the  night  fall  he  shall  give  me  reverence. 
Sign  of  my  power  shall  he  find  at  every  step : 
cities  built  upon  the  waves  ;  temples  solid  and 
high  as  the  hills ;  the  lake  covered  with  canoes 
and  gardens ;  people  at  his  feet,  like  stalks  in  the 
meadow  ;  my  warriors  ;  and  Tenochtitlan,  city  of 
empire  !  And  then,  if  he  greet  me  with  hope  or 
thought  of  conquest,  — then  " —  he  shuddered. 

"  And  then  what  ?  "  said  Cuitlahua,  upon  whom 
not  a  word  had  been  lost. 

The  thinker,  startled,  looked  at  him  coldly, 
saying,  — 

"  I  will  take  council  of  the  gods." 

And  for  a  while  he  returned  to  his  choclatl. 
When  next  he  looked  up,  and  spoke,  his  face  was 
bright  and  smiling. 

"  With  a  train,  my  children,  you  are  to  go  in 
advance  of  me,  and  meet  Malinche  at  Xoloc. 
Embrace  him,  speak  to  him  honorably,  return 
with  him,  and  I  will  be  at  the  first  bridge  outside 
the  city.  Cuitlahua  and  Cacama,  be  near  when 
he  steps  forward  to  salute  me.  I  will  lean  upon 
your  shoulders.  Get  you  gone  now.  Remember 
Anahuac !  " 

Shortly  afterward  a  train  of  nobles,  magnifi- 
cently arrayed,  issued  from  the  palace,  and 
marched  down  the  great  street  leading  to  the 
Iztapalapan  causeway.  The  house  tops,  the  por- 
ticoes, even  the  roofs  and  towers  of  temples,  and 
the  pavements  and  cross-streets,  were  already  oc- 
cupied by  spectators.  At  the  head  of  the  pro- 


334  THE   FAIR   GOD 

cession  strode  the  four  heralds.  Silently  they 
marched,  in  silence  the  populace  received  them. 
The  spectacle  reminded  very  old  men  of  the  day 
the  great  Axaya'  was  borne  in  mournful  pomp  to 
Chapultepec.  Once  only  there  was  a  cheer,  or, 
rather,  a  war-cry  from  the  warriors  looking  down 
from  the  terraces  of  a  temple.  So  the  cortege 
passed  from  the  city ;  so,  through  a  continuous 
lane  of  men,  they  moved  along  the  causeway  ;  so 
they  reached  the  gates  of  Xoloc,  at  which  the 
two  dikes,  one  from  Iztapalapan,  the  other  from 
Cojohuaca,  intersected  each  other.  There  they 
halted,  waiting  for  Cortes. 

And  while  the  train  was  on  the  road,  out  of 
one  of  the  gates  of  the  royal  garden  passed  a 
palanquin,  borne  by  four  slaves  in  the  king's 
livery.  The  occupants  were  the  princesses  Tula 
and  Nenetzin,  with  Yeteve  in  attendance.  In 
any  of  the  towns  of  old  Spain  there  would  have 
been  much  remark  upon  the  style  of  carriage, 
but  no  denial  of  their  beauty,  or  that  they  were 
Spanish  born.  The  elder  sister  was  thoughtful 
and  anxious  ;  the  younger  kept  constant  lookout ; 
the  priestess,  at  their  feet,  wove  the  flowers 
with  which  they  were  profusely  supplied  into 
ramilletes,  and  threw  them  to  the  passers-by. 
The  slaves,  when  in  the  great  street,  turned  to 
the  north. 

"Blessed  Lady!"  cried  Yeteve.  "Was  the 
like  ever  seen  ?  " 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  asked  Nenetzin. 

"  Such  a  crowd  of  people.!  " 


MONTEZUMA  GOES    TO   MEET   CORTES        335 

Nenetzin  looked  out  again,  saying,  "  I  wish  I 
could  see  a  noble  or  a  warrior." 

"That  may  not  be,"  said  Tula.  "The  nobles 
are  gone  to  receive  Malinche ;  the  warriors  are 
shut  up  in  the  temples." 

"Why  so?" 

"  They  may  be  needed." 

"  Ah  !  was  it  thought  there  is  such  danger  ? 
But  look,  see !  "  And  Nenetzin  drew  back 
alarmed,  yet  laughing. 

There  was  a  crash  outside,  and  a  loud  shout, 
and  the  palanquin  stopped.  Tula  drew  the  cur- 
tain quickly,  not  knowing  but  that  the  peril  re- 
quiring the  soldiery  was  at  hand.  A  vendor  of 
little  stone  images,  —  teotls,  or  household  gods,  — 
unable  to  get  out  of  the  way,  had  been  run  upon 
by  the  slaves,  and  the  pavement  sprinkled  with 
the  broken  heads  and  legs  of  the  luckless  lares. 
Aside,  surveying  the  wreck,  stood  the  peddler, 
clad  as  usual  with  his  class.  In  his  girdle  he 
carried  a  mallet,  significant  of  his  trade.  He 
was  uncommonly  tall,  and  of  a  complexion  darker 
than  the  lowest  slaves.  While  the  commiserate 
princess  observed  him,  he  raised  his  eyes ;  a  mo- 
ment he  stood  uncertain  what  to  do  ;  then  he 
stepped  to  the  palanquin,  and  from  the  folds  of 
his  tunic  drew  an  image  elaborately  carved  upon 
the  face  of  an  agate. 

"The  good  princess,"  he  said,  bending  so  low 
as  to  hide  his  face,  "did  not  laugh  at  the  mis- 
fortune of  her  poor  slave.  She  has  a  friendly 
heart,  and  is  loved  by  every  artisan  in  Tenoch- 


336  THE   FAIR   GOD 

titlan.  This  carving  is  of  a  sacred  god,  who  will 
watch  over  and  bless  her,  as  I  now  do.  If  she 
will  take  it,  I  shall  be  glad." 

"  It  is-  very  valuable,  and  maybe  you  are  not 
rich,"  she  replied. 

"  Rich  !  When  it  is  told  that  the  princess  Tula 
was  pleased  with  a  teotl  of  my  carving,  I  shall 
have  patrons  without  end.  And  if  it  were  not  so, 
the  recollection  will  make  me  rich  enough.  Will 
she  please  me  so  much  ?" 

She  took  from  her  finger  a  ring  set  with  a 
jewel  that,  in  any  city  of  Europe,  would  have 
bought  fifty  such  cameos,  and  handed  it  to  him. 

"  Certainly ;  but  take  this  from  me.  I  warrant 
you  are  a  gentle  artist." 

The  peddler  took  the  gift,  and  kissed  the  pave- 
ment, and  after  the  palanquin  was  gone,  picked 
up  such  of  his  wares  as  were  uninjured,  and  went 
his  way  well  pleased. 

At  the  gate  of  the  temple  of  Huitzil'  the  three 
alighted,  and  made  their  way  to  the  asoteas.  The 
lofty  place  was  occupied  by  pabas  and  citizens, 
yet  a  sunshade  of  gaudy  feather-work  was  pitched 
for  them  close  by  the  eastern  verge,  overlooking 
the  palace  of  Axaya',  and  commanding  the  street 
up  which  the  array  was  to  come.  In  the  area 
below,  encompassed  by  the  Coatapantli,  or  Wall 
of  Serpents,  ten  thousand  warriors  were  closely 
ranked,  ready  to  march  at  beat  of  the  great  drum 
hanging  in  the  tower.  Thus,  comfortably  situated, 
the  daughters  of  the  king  awaited  the  strangers. 

When  Montezuma  started  to  meet  his  guests, 


,,  - 


MONTEZUMA   GOES   TO   MEET   CORTES       337 

the  morning  was  far  advanced.  A  vast  audience, 
in  front  of  his  palace,  waited  to  catch  a  view  of 
his  person.  Of  his  policy  the  mass  knew  but  the 
little  gleaned  from  a  thousand  rumors,  —  enough 
to  fill  them  with  forebodings  of  evil.  Was  he 
going  out  as  king  or  slave  ?  At  last  he  came, 
looking  their  ideal  of  a  child  of  the  Sun,  and 
ready  for  the  scrutiny.  Standing  in  the  portal, 
he  received  their  homage  ;  not  one  but  kissed  the 
ground  before  him. 

He  stepped  out,  and  the  sun,  as  if  acknowledg- 
ing his  presence,  seemed  to  pour  a  double  glory 
about  him.  In  the  time  of  despair  and  overthrow 
that  came,  alas !  too  soon,  those  who  saw  him,  in 
that  moment  of  pride,  spread  his  arms  in  general 
benediction,  remembered  his  princeliness,  and 
spoke  of  him  ever  after  in  the  language  of  poetry. 
The  tilmatli,  looped  at  the  throat,  and  falling 
gracefully  from  his  shoulders,  was  beaded  with 
jewels  and  precious  stones;  the  long,  dark-green 
plumes  in  his  panache  drooped  with  pearls ;  his 
sash  was  in  keeping  with  the  mantle ;  the  thongs 
of  his  sandals  were  edged  with  gold,  and  the 
soles  were  entirely  of  gold.  Upon  his  breast,  re- 
lieved against  the  rich  embroidery  of  his  tunic, 
symbols  of  the  military  orders  of  the  realm  liter- 
ally blazed  with  gems. 

About  the  royal  palanquin,  in  front  of  the 
portal,  bareheaded  and  barefooted,  stood  its  com- 
plement of  bearers,  lords  of  the  first  rank,  proud 
of  the  service.  Between  the  carriage  and  the 
doorway  a  carpet  of  white  cloth  was  stretched  : 


338  THE   FAIR   GOD 

common  dust  might  not  soil  his  feet.  As  he 
stepped  out,  he  was  saluted  by  a  roar  of  atabals 
and  conch-shells.  The  music  warmed  his  blood ; 
the  homage  was  agreeable  to  him,  —  was  to  his 
soul  what  incense  is  to  the  gods.  He  gazed 
proudly  around,  and  it  was  easy  to  see  how  much 
he  was  in  love  with  his  own  royalty. 

Taking  his  place  in  the  palanquin,  the  cortege 
moved  slowly  down  the  street.  In  advance  walked 
stately  caciques  with  wands,  clearing  the  way.  The 
carriers  of  the  canopy,  which  was  separate  from 
the  carriage,  followed  next ;  and  behind  them, 
reverently,  and  with  downcast  faces,  marched  an 
escort  of  armed  lords  indescribably  splendid. 

The  street  traversed  was  the  same  Malinche 
was  to  traverse.  Often  and  again  did  the  subtle 
monarch  look  to  paves  and  housetops,  and  to 
the  canals  and  temples.  Well  he  knew  the  cun- 
ning guest  would  sweep  them  all,  searching  for 
evidences  of  his  power  ;  that-nothing  would  escape 
examination ;  that  the  myriads  of  spectators,  the 
extent  of  the  city,  its  position  in  the  lake,  and 
thousands  of  things  not  to  be  written  would  find 
places  in  the  calculation  inevitable  if  the  visit 
were  with  other  than  peaceful  intent. 

At  a  palace  near  the  edge  of  the  city  the  escort 
halted  to  abide  the  coming. 

Soon,  from  the  lake,  a  sound  of  music  was 
heard,  more  plaintive  than  that  of  the  conchs. 

"They  are  coming,  they  are  coming!  The 
teules  are  coming !  "  shouted  the  people ;  and 
every  heart,  even  the  king's,  beat  quicker.  Up  the 
street  the  cry  passed,  like  a  hurly  gust  of  wind. 


VIII 


THE   ENTRY 

*•  •    •*    T  is  hardly  worth  while  to  eulogize 
the   Christians   who   took    part    in 
w-  •»    -^      Cortes'    crusade.      History   has   as- 
|i||^^  sumed  their  commemoration.    I  may 
Jjinig       say,  however,  they  were  men  who 
t/  had  acquired  fitness  for  the  task  by 

service  in  almost  every  clime.  Some  had  tilted 
with  the  Moor  under  the  walls  of  Granada ;  some 
had  fought  the  Islamite  on  the  blue  Danube  ;  some 
had  performed  the  first  Atlantic  voyage  with  Co- 
lumbus ;  all  of  them  had  hunted  the  Carib  in  the 


340  THE   FAIR   GOD 

glades  of  Hispaniola.  It  is  not  enough  to  describe 
them  as  fortune-hunters,  credulous,  imaginative, 
tireless ;  neither  is  it  enough  to  write  them  sol- 
diers, bold,  skillful,  confident,  cruel  to  enemies, 
gentle  to  each  other.  They  were  characters  of 
the  age  in  which  they  lived,  unseen  before,  unseen 
since ;  knights  errant,  who  believed  in  hippogriff 
and  dragon,  but  sought  them  only  in  lands  of 
gold ;  missionaries,  who  complacently  broke  the 
body  of  the  converted  that  Christ  might  the 
sooner  receive  his  soul;  palmers  of  pike  and 
shield,  who,  in  care  of  the  Virgin,  followed  the 
morning  round  the  world,  assured  that  Heaven 
stooped  lowest  over  the  most  profitable  planta- 
tions. 

The  wonders  of  the  way  from  the  coast  to  Izta- 
palapan  had  so  beguiled  the  little  host  that  they 
took  but  partial  account  of  its  dangers.  When, 
this  morning,  they  stepped  upon  the  causeway, 
and  began  the  march  out  into  the  lake,  a  sense  of 
insecurity  fell  upon  them,  like  the  shadow  of  a 
cloud ;  back  to  the  land  they  looked,  as  to  a 
friend  from  whom  they  might  be  parting  forever ; 
and  as  they  proceeded,  and  the  water  spread 
around  them,  wider,  deeper,  and  upbearing  denser 
multitudes  of  people,  the  enterprise  suddenly  grew 
in  proportions,  and  challenged  their  self-suffi- 
ciency; yet,  as  I  have  heard  them  confess,  they 
did  not  wake  to  a  perfect  comprehension  of  their 
situation,  and  its  dangers  and  difficulties,  until 
they  passed  the  gates  of  Xoloc :  then  Tenochtitlan 
shone  upon  them,  —  a  city  of  enchantment !  And 


THE   ENTRY  341 

then  each  one  felt  that  to  advance  was  like  march- 
ing in  the  face  of  death,  at  the  same  time  each 
one  saw  there  was  no  hope  except  in  advance. 
Every  hand  grasped  closer  the  weapon  with  which 
it  was  armed,  while  the  ranks  were  intuitively 
closed.  What  most  impressed  them,  they  said, 
was  the  silence  of  the  people ;  a  word,  a  shout,  a 
curse,  or  a  battle-cry  would  have  been  a  relief 
from  the  fears  and  fancies  that  beset  them  ;  as  it 
was,  though  in  the  midst  of  myriad  life,  they  heard 
only  their  own  tramp,  or  the  clang  and  rattle  of 
their  own  arms.  As  if  aware  of  the  influence, 
and  fearful  of  its  effect  upon  his  weaker  follow- 
ers, Cortes  spoke  to  the  musicians,  and  trumpet 
and  clarion  burst  into  a  strain  which,  with  beat  of 
drum  and  clash  of  cymbal,  was  heard  in  the  city. 

"  Ola,  Sandoval,  Alvarado  !  Here,  at  my  right 
and  left ! "  cried  Cortes. 

They  spurred  forward  at  the  call. 

"Out  of  the  way,  dog!"  shouted  Sandoval, 
thrusting  a  naked  tamene  over  the  edge  of  the 
dike  with  the  butt  of  his  lance. 

"By  my  conscience,  Senores,"  Cortes  said,  "I 
think  true  Christian  in  a  land  of  unbelievers  never 
beheld  city  like  this.  If  it  be  wrong  to  the  royal 
good  knight,  Richard,  of  England,  or  that  valor- 
ous captain,  the  Flemish  Duke  Godfrey,  may  the 
saints  pardon  me  ;  but  I  dare  say  the  walled  towns 
they  took,  and,  for  that  matter,  I  care  not  if  you 
number  Antioch  and  the  Holy  City  of  the  Sepul- 
chre among  them,  were  not  to  be  put  in  compari- 
son with  this  infidel  stronghold." 


342  THE    FAIR   GOD 

And  as  they  ride,  listening  to  his  comments,  let 
me  bring  them 'particularly  to  view. 

They  were  in  full  armor,  except  that  Alvarado's 
squire  carried  his  helmet  for  him.  In  preparation 
for  the  entry,  their  skillful  furbishers  had  well 
renewed  the  original  lustre  of  helm,  gorget,  breast- 
plate, glaive,  greave,  and  shield.  The  plumes  in 
their  crests,  like  the  scarfs  across  their  breasts, 
had  been  carefully  preserved  for  such  ceremonies. 
At  the  saddle-bows  hung  heavy  hammers,  better 
known  as  battle-axes.  Rested  upon  the  iron  shoe, 
and  balanced  in  the  right  hand,  each  carried  a 
lance,  to  which,  as  the  occasion  was  peaceful,  a 
silken  pennon  was  attached.  The  horses,  oppor- 
tunely rested  in  Iztapalapan,  and  glistening  in 
mail,  trod  the  causeway  as  if  conscious  of  the 
terror  they  inspired. 

Cortes,  between  his  favorite  captains,  rode  with 
lifted  visor,  smiling  and  confident.  His  complex- 
ion was  bloodless  and  ashy,  a  singularity  the  more 
noticeable  on  account  of  his  thin,  black  beard.  The 
lower  lip  was  seamed  with  a  scar.  He  was  of  fine 
stature,  broad-shouldered,  and  thin,  but  strong, 
active,  and  enduring.  His  skill  in  all  manner  of 
martial  exercises  was  extraordinary.  He  con- 
versed in  Latin,  composed  poetry,  wrote  unex- 
ceptionable prose,  and,  except  when  in  passion, 
spoke  gravely  and  with  well-turned  -periods.1  In 
argument  he  was  both  dogmatic  and  convincing, 
and  especially  artful  in  addressing  soldiers,  of 
whom,  by  constitution,  mind,  will,  and  courage, 

1  Bernal  Diaz,  Hist,  of  the  Conq.  of  Mexico. 


THE  ENTRY  343 

he  was  a  natural  leader.  Now,  gay  and  assured, 
he  managed  his  steed  with  as  little  concern  and 
talked  carelessly  as  a  knight  returning  victorious 
from  some  joyous  passage  of  arms. 

Gonzalo  de  Sandoval,  not  twenty-three  years  of 
age,  was  better  looking,  having  a  larger  frame  and 
fuller  face.  His  beard  was  auburn,  and  curled 
agreeably  to  the  prevalent  fashion.  Next  to  his 
knightly  honor,  he  loved  his  beautiful  chestnut 
horse,  Motilla.1 

Handsomest  man  of  the  party,  however,  was 
Don  Pedro  de  Alvarado.  Generous  as  a  brother 
to  a  Christian,  he  hated  a  heathen  with  the  fervor 
of  a  crusader.  And  now,  in  scorn  of  Aztecan 
treachery,  he  was  riding  unhelmed,  his  locks/ long 
and  yellow,  flowing  freely  over  his  shoulders. 
His  face  was  fair  as  a  gentlewoman's,  and  neither 
sun  nor  weather  could  alter  it.  Except  in  battle, 
his  countenance  expressed  the  friendliest  disposi- 
tion. He  cultivated  his  beard  assiduously,  training 
it  to  fall  in  ringlets  upon  his  breast,  —  and  there 
was  reason  for  the  weakness,  if  such  it  was ; 
yellow  as  gold,  with  the  help  of  his  fair  face  and 
clear  blue  eyes,  it  gave  him  a  peculiar  expression 
of  sunniness,  from  which  the  Aztecs  called  him 
Tonitiah,  child  of  the  Sun.2 

And  over  what  a  following  of  cavaliers  the 
leader  looked  when,  turning  in  his  saddle,  he  now 
and  then  glanced  down  the  column,  —  Christobal 
de  Oli,  Juan  Velasquez  de  Leon,  Francisco  de 

1  Bernal  Diaz,  Hist,  of  the  Conq.  of  Mexico. 

2  Ibid. 


344  THE   FAIR  GOD 

Montejo,  Luis  Marin,  Andreas  de  Tapia,  Alonzo 
de  Avila,  Francisco  de  Lugo,  the  Manjarezes, 
Andreas  and  Gregorio,  Diego  de  Ordas,  Francisco 
de  Morla,  Christobal  de  Olea,  Gonzalo  de  Domin- 
guez,  Rodriques  Magarino,  Alonzo  Hernandez 
Carrero,  —  most  of  them  gentlemen  of  the  class 
who  knew  the  songs  of  Rodrigo,  and  the  stories 
of  Amadis  and  the  Paladins  ! 

And  much  shame  would  there  be  to  me  if  I 
omitted  mention  of  two  others,  —  Bernal  Diaz  del 
Castillo,  who,  after  the  conquest,  became  its  faith- 
ful historian,  and  Father  Bartolome  de  Olmedo, 1 
sweet  singer,  good  man,  and  devoted  servant  of 
God,  the  first  to  whisper  the  names  of  Christ 
and  the  Holy  Mother  in  the  ear  of  New  Spain. 
In  the  column  behind  the  cavaliers,  with  his  assist- 
ant, Juan  de  las  Varillas,  he  rode  bareheaded,  and 
clad  simply  in  a  black  serge  gown.  The  tinkle  of 
the  little  silver  bell,  which  the  soldiers,  in  token 
of  love,  had  tied  to  the  neck  of  his  mule,  sounded 
amid  the  harsher  notes  of  war,  like  a  gentle 
reminder  of  shepherds  and  grazing  flocks  in  peace- 
ful pastures  near  Old  World  homes. 

After  the  holy  men,  in  care  of  a  chosen  guard 
of  honor,  the  flag  of  Spain  was  carried ;  and  then 
came  the  artillery,  drawn  by  slaves  ;  next,  in  close 
order,  followed  the  crossbowmen  and  arquebusiers, 
the  latter  with  their  matches  lighted.  Rearward 
still,  in  savage  pomp  and  pride,  strode  the  two 
thousand  Tlascalans,  first  of  their  race  to  bear 
shield  and  fly  banner  along  the  causeway  into 

1  Bernal  Diaz,  Hist,  of  the  Conq.  of  Mexico. 


THE   ENTRY  345 

Tenochtitlan.  And  so  the  Christians,  in  order  of 
battle,  but  scarcely  four  hundred  strong,  marched 
into  a  capital  of  full  three  hundred  thousand 
inhabitants,  swollen  by  the  innumerable  multi- 
tudes of  the  valley. 

As  they  drew  nigh  the  city,  the  cavaliers  be- 
came silent  and  thoughtful.  With  astonishment, 
which  none  of  them  sought  to  conceal,  they  gazed 
at  the  white  walls  and  crowded  houses,  and,  with 
sharpened  visions,  traced  against  the  sky  the  out- 
lines of  temples  and  temple-towers,  more  numer- 
ous than  those  of  papal  Rome.  Well  they  knew 
that  the  story  of  what  they  saw  so  magnificently 
before  them  would  be  received  with  incredulity  in 
all  the  courts  of  Christendom.  Indeed,  some  of 
the  humbler  soldiers  marched  convinced  that  all 
they  beheld  was  a  magical  delusion.  Not  so 
Cortes. 

"  Ride  on,  gentlemen,  ride  on  !  "  he  said.  "  There 
is  a  question  I  would  ask  of  a  good  man  behind 
us.  I  will  rejoin  you  shortly." 

From  the  artillerists  he  singled  a  soldier. 

"  Martin  Lopez  !     Martin  Lopez !  " 

The  man  came  to  him. 

"Martin,  look  out  on  this  lake.  Beareth  it 
resemblance  to  the  blue  bays  on  the  southern 
shore  of  old  Spain  ?  As  thou  art  a  crafty  sailor, 
comrade  mine,  look  carefully." 

Lopez  raised  his  morion,  and,  leaning  on  his 
pike,  glanced  over  the  expanse. 

"  Senor,  the  water  is  fair  enough,  and,  for  that, 
looks  like  bayous  I  have  seen  without  coming  so 


346  THE    FAIR   GOD 

far ;  but  I  doubt  if  a  two-decker  could  float  on  it 
long  enough  for  Father  Olmedo  to  say  mass  for 
our  souls  in  peril." 

"  Peril !  Plague  take  thee,  man  !  Before  the 
hour  of  vespers,  by  the  Blessed  Lady,  whose 
image  thou  wearest,  this  lake,  yon  city,  its  master, 
and  all  thou  seest  here,  not  excepting  the  common 
spawn  of  idolatry  at  our  feet,  shall  be  the  property 
of  our  sovereign  lord.  But,  Martin  Lopez,  thou 
hast  hauled  sail  and  tacked  ship  in  less  room  than 
this.  What  say'st  thou  to  sailing  a  brigantine 
here  ? " 

The  sailor's  spirit  rose  ;  he  looked  over  the  lake 
again. 

"  It  might  be  done,  it  might  be  done! " 

"  Then,  by  my  conscience,  it  shall  be  !  Confess 
thyself  an  Admiral  to-night." 

And  Cortes  rode  to  the  front.  Conquest  might 
not  be,  he  saw,  without  vessels  ;  and  true  to  his 
promise,  it  came  to  pass  that  Lopez  sailed,  not 
one,  but  a  fleet  of  brigantines  on  the  gentle 
waters. 

When  the  Christians  were  come  to  the  first 
bridge  outside  the  walls,  their  attention  was  sud- 
denly drawn  from  the  city.  Down  the  street 
came  Montezuma  and  his  retinue.  Curious  as 
they  were  to  see  the  arch-infidel,  the  soldiers  kept 
their  ranks  ;  but  Cortes,  taking  with  him  the  cava- 
liers, advanced  to  meet  the  monarch.  When  the 
palanquin  stopped,  the  Spaniards  dismounted. 
About  the  same  time  an  Indian  woman,  of  comely 
features,  came  forward. 


THE   ENTRY  347 

"  Stay  thou  here,  Marina,"  said  Cortes.  "  I  will 
embrace  the  heathen,  then  call  thee  to  speak  to 
him." 

"Jesu  !  "  cried  Alvarado.  "  There  is  gold  enough 
on  his  litter  to  furnish  a  cathedral." 

"  Take  thou  the  gold,  Senor ;  I  choose  the 
jewels  on  his  mantle,"  said  De  Ordas. 

"  By  my  patron  saint  of  excellent  memory !  " 
said  Sandoval,  lisping  his  words,  "  I  think  for 
noble  cavaliers  ye  are  easily  content.  Take  the 
jewels  and  the  gold ;  but  give  me  that  train  of 
stalwart  dogs,  and  a  plantation  worthy  of  my 
degree  here  by  Tezcuco." 

So  the  captains  talked. 

Meantime,  the  cotton  cloth  was  stretched  along 
the  dike.  Then  on  land  and  sea  a  hush  prevailed. 

Montezuma  came  forward,  supported  by  the 
lords  Cuitlahua  and  Cacama.  Cortes  met  him 
half-way.  When  face  to  face,  they  paused,  and 
looked  at  each  other.  Alas,  for  the  Aztec  then ! 
In  the  mailed  stranger  he  beheld  a  visitant  from 
the  Sun,  —  a  god  !  The  Spaniard  saw,  wrapped 
in  the  rich  vestments,  only  a  man,  — a  king,  yet  a 
heathen  !  He  opened  his  arms  :  Montezuma  stirred 
not.  Cuitlahua  uttered  a  cry  to  Huitzil',  and 
caught  one  of  the  extended  arms.  Long  did  Cortes 
keep  in  mind  the  cacique's  look  at  that  moment ; 
long  did  he  remember  the  dark  brown  face, 
swollen  with  indignation  and  horror.  Alvarado 
laid  his  hand  on  his  sword. 

"  Peace,  Don  Pedro  !  "  said  Cortes.  "  The  knave 
knows  nothing  of  respectable  customs.  Instead  of 


348  THE   FAIR  GOD 

taking  to  thy  sword,  bless  the  Virgin  that  a  Chris- 
tian knight  hath  been  saved  the  sin  of  embracing 
an  unbeliever.  Call  Marina." 

The  woman  came,  and  stood  by  the  Spaniard, 
and  in  a  sweet  voice  interpreted  the  speeches. 
The  monarch  expressed  delight  at  seeing  his  visi- 
tors, and  welcomed  them  to  Tenochtitlan ;  his 
manner  and  courteous  words  won  even  Alvarado. 
Cortes  answered,  acknowledging  surprise  at  the 
beauty  and  extent  of  the  city,  and  in  token  of  his 
gratification  at  being  at  last  before  a  king  so  rich 
and  powerful  begged  him  to  accept  a  present. 
Into  the  royal  hand  he  then  placed  a  string  of 
precious  stones,  variously  colored,  and  strongly 
perfumed  with  musk.  Thereupon  the  ceremony 
ended.  Two  of  the  princes  were  left  to  conduct 
the  strangers  to  their  quarters.  Resuming  his 
palanquin,  Montezuma  himself  led  the  procession 
as  far  as  his  own  palace. 

And  Cortes  swung  himself  into  the  saddle. 
"  Let  the  trumpets  sound.  Forward  !  " 

Again  the  music, — again  the  advance;  then 
the  pageant  passed  from  the  causeway  and  lake 
into  the  expectant  city. 

Theretofore,  the  Christians  had  been  silent 
from  discipline,  now  they  were  silent  from  wonder. 
Even  Cortes  held  his  peace.  They  had  seen 
the  irregular  towns  of  Tlascala,  and  the  preten- 
tious beauty  of  Cholula,  and  Iztapalapan,  in  whose 
streets  the  lake  contended  with  the  land  for 
mastery,  yet  were  they  unprepared  for  Tenoch- 
titlan. Here,  it  was  plain,  wealth  and  power  and 


THE    ENTRY  349 

time  and  labor,  under  the  presidency  of  genius, 
had  wrought  their  perfect  works,  everywhere  visi- 
ble :  under  foot,  a  sounding  bridge,  or  a  broad 
paved  way,  dustless,  and  unworn  by  wheel  or 
hoof ;  on  the  right  and  left,  airy  windows,  figured 
portals,  jutting  balconies,  embattled  cornices,  por- 
ticoes with  columns  of  sculptured  marble,  and  here 
a  palace,  there  a  temple ;  overhead  pyramidal 
heights  crowned  with  towers  and  smoking  bra- 
ziers, or  lower  roofs,  from  which,  as  from  hanging 
gardens,  floated  waftures  sweet  as  the  perfumed 
airs  of  the  Indian  isles  ;  and  everywhere,  looking  up 
from  the  canals,  down  from  the  porticoes,  houses, 
and  pyramids,  and  out  of  the  doors  and  windows, 
crowding  the  pavement,  clinging  to  the  walls,  — 
everywhere  the  PEOPLE  !  After  ages  of  decay  I 
know  it  has  been  otherwise  ;  but  I  also  know 
that  conquerors  have  generally  found  the  builders 
of  a  great  state  able  and  willing  to  defend  it. 

"  St.  James  absolve  me,  Senor !  but  I  like  not 
the  coldness  of  these  dogs,"  said  Monjarez  to 
Avila. 

"  Nor  I,"  was  the  reply.  "  Seest  thou  the 
women  on  yon  balcony  ?  I  would  give  my  hel- 
met full  of  ducats,  if  they  would  but  once  cry, 
'  Viva  Espana  / '" 

"  Nay,  that  would  I  if  they  would  but  wave  a 
scarf." 

The  progress  of  the  pageant  was  necessarily 
slow ;  but  at  last  the  spectators  on  the  temple  of 
Huitzil'  heard  its  music ;  at  last  the  daughters  of 
the  king  beheld  it  in  the  street  below  them. 


35°  THE   FAIR   GOD 

"  Gods  of  my  fathers ! "  thought  Tula,  awed 
and  trembling,  "what  manner  of  beings  are 
these?" 

And  the  crossbowmen  and  arquebusiers,  their 
weapons  and  glittering  iron  caps,  the  guns,  and 
slaves  that  dragged  them,  even  the  flag  of  Spain, 
—  objects  of  mighty  interest  to  others,  —  drew 
from  Nenetzin  but  a  passing  glance.  Very  beau- 
tiful to  her,  however,  were  the  cavaliers,  insomuch 
that  she  cared  only  for  their  gay  pennons,  their 
shields,  their  plumes  nodding  bravely  above  their 
helms,  their  armor  of  strange  metal,  on  which  the 
sun  seemed  to  play  with  a  fiery  love,  and  their 
steeds,  creatures  tamed  for  the  service  of  gods. 
Suddenly  her  eyes  fixed,  her  heart  stopped  ;  point- 
ing to  where  the  good  Captain  Alvarado  rode, 
scanning  with  upturned  face  the  great  pile,  "  Oh, 
Tula,  Tula ! "  she  cried.  "  See  !  There  goes  the 
blue-eyed  warrior  of  my  dream !  " 

But  it  happened  that  Tula  was,  at  the  moment, 
too  much  occupied  to  listen  or  look.  The  hand- 
some vendor  of  images,  standing  near  the  royal 
party,  had  attracted  the  attention  of  Yeteve,  the 
priestess. 

"  The  noble  Tula  is  unhappy.  She  is  thinking 
of"- 

A  glance  checked  the  name. 

Then  Yeteve  whispered,  "  Look  at  the  image- 
maker." 

The  prompting  was  not  to  be  resisted.  She 
looked,  and  recognized  Guatamozin.  Not  that 
only  ;  through  his  low  disguise,  in  his  attitude, 


THE   ENTRY  351 

his  eyes  bright  with  angry  fire,  she  discerned 
his  spirit,  its  pride  and  heroism.  Not  for  her 
was  it  to  dispute  the  justice  of  his  banishment. 
Love  scorned  the  argument.  There  he  stood, 
the  man  for  the  time  ;  strong-armed,  stronger- 
hearted,  prince  by  birth,  king  by  nature,  watch- 
ing afar  off  a  scene  in  which  valor  and  genius 
entitled  him  to  prominence.  Then  there  were 
tears  for  him,  and  a  love  higher,  if  not  purer, 
than  ever. 

Suddenly  he  leaned  over  the  verge,  and- 
shouted,  "  Al-a-lala  !  Al-a-lala !  "  and  with  such 
energy  that  he  was  heard  in  the  street  below. 
Tula  looked  down,  and  saw  the  cause  of  the  ex- 
citement, —  the  Tlascalans  were  marching  by ! 
Again  his  cry,  the  same  with  which  he  had  so 
often  led  his  countrymen  to  battle.  No  one  took 
it  up.  The  companies  inside  the  sacred  wall 
turned  their  faces,  and  stared  at  him  in  dull  won- 
der. And  he  covered  his  eyes  with  his  hands, 
while  every  thought  was  a  fierce  invective.  Little 
he  then  knew  how  soon,  and  how  splendidly,  they 
were  to  purchase  his  forgiveness  ! 

When  the  Tlascalans  were  gone,  he  dropped 
his  hands,  and  found  the  —  mallet !  So  it  was 
the  artisan,  the  image-maker,  not  the  'tzin,  who 
had  failed  to  wake  the  army  to  war !  He  turned 
quickly,  and  took  his  way  through  the  crowd,  and 
disappeared  ;  and  none  but  Tula  and  Yeteve  ever 
knew  that,  from  the  teocallis,  Guatamozin  had 
witnessed  the  entry  of  the  teules. 

And  so  poor  Nenetzin  had  been  left  to  follow 


352  THE   FAIR  GOD 

the  warrior  of  her  dream ;  the  shock  and  the 
pleasure  were  hers  alone. 

The  palace  of  Axaya'  faced  the  temple  of  Hui- 
tzil'  on  the  west.  In  one  of  the  halls  Montezuma 
received  Cortes  and  the  cavaliers  ;  and  all  their 
lives  they  recollected  his  gentleness,  courtesy, 
and  unaffected  royalty  in  that  ceremony.  Put- 
ting a  golden  collar  around  the  neck  of  his  chief 
guest,  he  said,  "This  palace  belongs  to  you,  Ma- 
linche,  and  to  your  brethren.  Rest  after  your 
fatigues ;  you  have  much  need  to  do  so.  In  a 
little  while  I  will  come  again." 

And  when  he  was  gone,  straightway  the  guest 
so  honored  proceeded  to  change  the  palace  into 
a  fort.  Along  the  massive  walls  that  encircled  it 
he  stationed  sentinels  ;  at  every  gate  planted  can- 
non ;  and,  like  the  enemy  he  was,  he  began,  and 
from  that  time  enforced,  a  discipline  sterner  than 
before. 

The  rest  of  the  day  the  citizens,  from  the  top 
of  the  temple,  kept  incessant  watch  upon  the 
palace.  When  the  shades  of  evening  were  col- 
lecting over  the  city,  and  the  thousands,  grouped 
along  the  streets,  were  whispering  of  the  inci- 
dents they  had  seen,  a  thunderous  report  broke 
the  solemn  stillness  ;  and  they  looked  at  each 
other,  and  trembled,  and  called  the  evening  guns 
of  Cortes  "Voices  of  the  Gods." 


8284 


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